By Sallie Crosier, Community Midwife Team Lead, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
As a community midwife team leader working with an increasingly diverse population, I’ve witnessed firsthand how language barriers can significantly impact maternity care. While we only interact with women for a relatively brief period during their pregnancy and early parenthood journey, these months are critical for establishing trust, providing education and ensuring informed choice.
The traditional approach to healthcare translation in maternity services is undergoing a dramatic transformation, driven by technological innovations and the changing needs of our communities. Historically, we relied on face-to-face interpreters and telephone interpretation services, which, while valuable, often resulted in delayed appointments and potentially compromised the intimate nature of maternity care.
Technology enabling informed choice in maternity care
The introduction of digital translation tools has revolutionised how we support women through their pregnancy journey. At Epsom and St Helier, we use CardMedic – the healthcare translation app. This technology allows us to maximise every interaction, ensuring women receive timely information about their care options, birth preferences and potential outcomes. Rather than waiting for interpreter availability, we can now have immediate, meaningful discussions about crucial aspects of maternity care.
This immediate access to translated information is particularly valuable in maternity services, where women need to make numerous decisions about their care. When women understand their options clearly, they can make informed choices about their pregnancy and birth journey, leading to better experiences and outcomes. For instance, we can now efficiently explain the rationale that underpinscomplex antenatal care instructions, discuss birth plans and outline various pain management options in a woman’s native language using CardMedic.
Building partnerships through effective communication
Healthcare interpretation in maternity care goes beyond simple language translation. Cultural competency plays a crucial role, particularly when discussing deeply personal aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. It is not a culturally acceptable to discuss intimate details with a stranger, who is not a professional and also may be male.
Modern translation tools increasingly incorporate cultural contexts and medical terminology specific to different communities, helping us provide culturally sensitive care.
As midwives, our role is to advocate for women and support them in making informed choices about their care. When language barriers are effectively addressed, women can better understand their options and articulate their preferences. This enhanced communication reduces anxiety about the unknown, helps prevent unexpected surprises during the birthing process, and enables women to be active participants in their care decisions. Having greater understanding of what may occur and why provides greater satisfaction, reduces the impact on mental health and well being and ultimately facilitates cohesion as a family unit
Looking forward
The future of maternity care communication must continue to evolve to meet the needs of our diverse communities. While digital translation tools offer numerous advantages, we maintain a flexible approach, combining these with traditional methods when necessary. The key is ensuring that every woman, regardless of her language background, receives comprehensive information to make informed choices about her care.
As we embrace these changes, success will depend on our ability to balance technological innovation with the deeply personal nature of maternity care, ensuring that all women receive the comprehensive, compassionate support they deserve during this significant life event.