Interpreting Services in the Maltese Healthcare Context

The quality and timeliness of the healthcare provision by the Maltese public healthcare system is possibly at risk due to the migrant influx and the resulting demographic shifts. Language barriers are a potential common occurrence in the Maltese healthcare context; their impact may be hindering the healthcare provision service. The literature focuses on the interactions between practitioner and patient or client, interpreting accuracy and budgeting across different healthcare systems. With regards to the local context, the present study was aimed at discerning if language barriers are in fact a significant obstacle in providing healthcare. To this end, a quantitative study setup was employed to answer the research questions.