Language shapes more than the exchange of medical information. It influences how patients build trust with clinicians, express their preferences, participate in clinical decisions, and experience pregnancy care. Our research examines how language preferences and patient–clinician communication shape experiences of care, trust, and clinical outcomes in maternal and reproductive healthcare.
Explore our featured studies and publications across four interconnected research areas:
Through this work, we aim to generate evidence that strengthens patient–clinician relationships, advances meaningful language access, and informs more equitable healthcare practices and systems.
Language and patient–clinician communication
Featured Research:
Effective communication involves more than exchanging information. It requires understanding patients' preferences, experiences, and expectations. Our research explores how language concordance, clinician communication practices, and culturally responsive approaches shape interactions during pregnancy care
Article: Heard but Excluded: A Language Manifesto
More of language and patient-clinitian communication:
- Accompaniment across languages: The power of a doctor's note (2025)
- Communication Preferences During Pregnancy Care Among Patients With Primary Spanish Language: A Scoping Review (2024)
- Leveraging human centered design to enhance clinician communication during pregnancy care: Overcoming language barriers with Spanish-speaking patients. (2024)
- Prenatal Care Clinician Preferences Among Patients With Spanish-Preferred Language. (2024)
- Cultural brokering in pregnancy care: A critical review. (2023)
- Experiences and Communication Preferences in Pregnancy Care Among Patients With a Spanish Language Preference: A Qualitative Study (2023)
- Transcending Language Barriers in Obstetrics and Gynecology: A Critical Dimension for Health Equity (2023)
The power of language-concordant care: a call to action for medical schools. (2019)
Patient Trust & Pregnancy Care
Featured Research:
Trust is an essential part of pregnancy care. This study developed and validated Confianza, a 5-item Spanish-language scale designed to measure patients’ trust in their pregnancy care clinicians.
Article: A Spanish-Language Patient-Reported Outcome Measure for Trust in Pregnancy Care Clinician
More of patient trust & pregnancy care:
Validation of a Bilingual Patient-Reported Outcome Measure for Patient Trust during Pregnancy Care. - 2025
Medical Education
- A Standardized Clinical Case-Based Assessment for Evaluating Medical Students' Oral Spanish Communication Skills - 2025
- Qualified Multilingual Assessment Policy for US Medical Students: A National Delphi Consensus Study. - 2025
Professional language use by alumni of the Harvard Medical School Medical Language Program - 2020
Language, Equity & Clinical Outcomes
- Disparities in Comprehension of the Obstetric Consent According to Language Preference Among Hispanic/Latinx Pregnant Patients (2022)
Language Preference and Risk of Primary Cesarean Delivery: A Retrospective Cohort Study (2021)
