Conversational Spanish for Medical Personnel

Conversational Spanish for Medical Personnel (2nd Edition) by Rochelle K. Kelz, M. D. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1982. 538 pages. $16.95.

The medical profession frequently experiences the frustrations of dealing with the ill and injured whose native language forms a barrier to their care. This book provides a tool for bridging the gap with one segment of the population, the Hispanic, who comprise the nation's second largest minority group.

The Hispanic is unique in that, historically, the group has the lowest naturalization rate of all immigrants to the United States. The author addresses the issue by providing the health care professional with a personalized approach to health care services for the Hispanic population through gaining a working knowledge of their language and, most importantly, an understanding of the cultural attitudes governing Hispanic patient behavior.

The difficulties most often occur among the Spanish-speaking...