Publications by authors named "Leen Bakdash"
Immigrants, nearly half of whom prefer a language other than English (LOE), face structural barriers to healthcare. This subgroup is believed to be at increased risk for reduced access to quality healthcare, yet few studies have examined the health needs and utilization patterns of LOE-preferring patients who seek care in the Emergency Department (ED). Given that the ED is often an entry point to the health system, we sought to characterize the health patterns of this population in an urban ED setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUroperitoneum secondary to spontaneous bladder rupture is a rare cause of ascites associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It can be difficult to detect and is often initially mistaken for other, more common etiologies. We present the case of a 56-year-old female with a history of cervical cancer treated with chemotherapy and radiation, radiation proctitis, and diabetes mellitus who presented with subacute onset abdominal pain and distension, urinary retention, and nausea.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigates the prevalence of traumatic injuries among individuals who prefer a language other than English (LOE) and their healthcare utilization in the U.S. emergency departments.
- It involved a review of 429 patients who used language interpretive services at a trauma center from 2019 to 2021, finding that Spanish speakers were predominant and motor vehicle collisions were the leading cause of injuries.
- The research underscores a significant underutilization of primary care services among LOE patients, indicating that trauma visits could serve as critical entry points for improving their overall healthcare access.
Medical interpretation is an underutilized resource, despite its legal mandate and proven efficacy in improving health outcomes for populations with low English proficiency. This disconnect can often be attributed to the costs and wait-times associated with traditional means of interpretation, making the service inaccessible and burdensome. Technology has improved access to translation through phone and video interpretation; with the acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI) large language models, we have an opportunity to further improve interpreter access through real-time, automated translation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Tracking progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3·6 of reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries poses a measurement challenge in most low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to large discrepancies between reported official statistics and estimates from global health measurement studies. We assess the extent to which national population censuses and health surveys can fill the information gaps.
Methods: We reviewed questionnaires for nationally representative surveys and censuses conducted since 2000 in LMICs.