I (Dr. Gupta) was recently awarded a grant from ASA, through the Committee on Professional Diversity, to study the effect of language-specific videos on patient anxiety and satisfaction in the labor and delivery (L&D) suite.
For any patient, admission to the L&D suite can, undoubtedly, prove to be a daunting and highly emotional experience. Feelings of joy and excitement for the future can be mixed with fear of the unknown and anxiety. Women presenting for labor may experience anxiety about pain management, loss of personal freedoms during the birthing process, the possibility of surgical intervention and, of course, concern for the health of their baby. The anxiety is undoubtedly compounded for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). Training in a large urban academic center, I routinely encounter a very diverse patient population, the majority of whom are non-native English speakers and require utilization of the interpreting service for their care....