Cerebral Hemorrhage: Overcoming Language Barriers for Continuous Care in Japan

Not only did the situation present a linguistic barrier between our medical staff and the Japanese hospital, but the patient, who had little to no proficiency in Japanese, was also unable to understand or respond to medical inquiries while admitted. This posed a significant risk due to the need for continuous cognitive and neurological testing during the duration of his treatment for a cerebral hemorrhage. The Crisis24 medical team and client determined that it was critical for the Japanese hospital to conduct these procedures in the patient’s native language to ensure accuracy and reduce stress.

In partnerships with a local translation service, Crisis24 communicated with the Japanese doctors to interpret the medical needs of the patient and express the needs of the client. Our translation partner shared our emphasis on privacy for the client and was able to effectively explain the sensitive medical information while maintaining the dignity and respect of the client; thus, aiding in the patient’s recovery because of a lessened stress level while receiving life-saving treatment.

Despite the many challenges involved in translating medical information into different languages and the initial desire of the Japanese hospital to maintain continuum care of the patient over the next few weeks, we were able to successfully liaise with the local medical team to honor the client’s rights and wishes to recover in their home country.  

In collaboration with all parties, we repatriated the patient to Denmark with a medical escort and ensured his admission to an inpatient facility there. This proactive approach not only stabilized the patient medically but also ensured that care decisions were made by the most informed and trusted parties. Crisis24 is dedicated to providing high-quality care at all times. By bridging the linguistic gaps between the patient and the Japanese hospital, we were able to support and establish trust with both the client and the patient.  

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