Hispanics are 38 percent less likely than non-Hispanics to have visited the doctor within the past year, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). In addition, more than a quarter of Hispanic adults have never had their cholesterol checked and nearly 54 percent of Hispanic women over 40 have not had a mammogram within the last year.

Why? Hispanics tend to approach healthcare differently than Anglos. That’s according to a 2004 paper issued by Hispanic Research, Inc., which stated that, in general, Hispanics rely more on home remedies and over-the-counter medications, consult their friends and families more for medical advice, and tend to self-diagnose and self-treat.

One-third of U.S. Hispanics are uninsured; this, along with linguistic and cultural barriers, plays a role in these disparities, as shown in AHRQ’s recent National Healthcare Disparities Report. Studies have found that Hispanics often lag behind the general population in access to preventive care even when they are insured.

In addition, a 2007 study by journal Health Services Research concluded that language weighs heavily on U.S. Hispanics' ability to get good health care. Many of the nation's 44.3 million Hispanics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006) have difficulty navigating the healthcare system, say the researchers.

Both studies point to a need for interpreter services and translated medical materials for Spanish-speaking patients. To find out more about communicating across languages and cultures in the healthcare industry, contact us for useful tip sheets.