Identify clients whose mother tongue is French and/or French is the language in which they are most comfortable receiving services
This strategy will help your organization identify the mother tongue of French-speaking clients, as well as the language in which they prefer to receive their care and services.
You can improve the safety of care as well as the experience and outcomes of your French-speaking patients and clients by reducing or eliminating language barriers.
Here’s how the different groups in your organization can implement this strategy.
1. Greet clients in both official languages when their language preference is unknown, for example by saying Hello! Bonjour !
2.Ask the client’s mother tongue and the language in which he or she is most comfortable receiving services on first contact, and document this information in the client’s record.
3. Check your client’s language preference before starting treatment.
Tools to help you implement this strategy are available in the Practical tools.
1. Ensure that your registration forms can collect information on clients’ mother tongue and in the language in which they are most comfortable receiving their services.
2. Ensure that all staff members collect the required client language information.
3. Ensure that healthcare professionals have access to clients’ language information.
4. Develop a policy and procedures that support best practices related to the identification of Francophones.
5. Ensure your staff is aware of the policy by including it in your organization’s Employee Handbook, as well as in the employee orientation.
6. Define and monitor performance indicators for the identification of Francophones.
7. Report these performance indicators to your governance.
Tools to help you implement this strategy are available in the Practical tools.
1. Adopt a policy and procedures that support best practices related to the identification of Francophones.
2. Receive reports and monitor the performance indicators on the identification of Francophones.
3. Ensure that your local Francophone community is consulted on a regular basis to better understand its needs in terms of French-language health services.
Tools to help you implement this strategy are available in the Practical tools.
