Use of the state language in legal relationships between the patient and medical personnel

Abstract

Clear communication between healthcare professionals and patients is vital for ensuring accurate diagnoses, effective treatment and the protection of patients’ rights. Language barriers can severely hinder this process, leading to misunderstandings, misdiagnoses and inadequate care, ultimately undermining the fundamental right to health. While many healthcare systems attempt to bridge linguistic gaps through bilingual staff, translated documents and interpretation services, these solutions have limitations. Translations may fail to capture medical nuance, and bilingual employees may lack sufficient language proficiency if not properly assessed. Therefore, the question comes out how does the use of the state language impact communication processes between patients and medical personnel in multilingual healthcare settings? In Latvia, recent legal reforms have highlighted the importance of language in healthcare delivery. On 13 June 2024, the Saeima Parliament adopted the final amendments to the Patient Rights Law to reinforce the use of the Latvian language in communication between medical personnel and patients. This legislative shift aims to enhance mutual understanding in the healthcare setting, safeguard patient safety and promote better health outcomes. This abstract examines the legal and ethical implications of language policy, its role in improving healthcare quality and equity and its alignment with constitutional and normative frameworks in Latvia. Keywords: patient rights; rights to understand; communication.