Explore ethical dilemmas of language discordance in South African healthcare. Enhance your professional development with practical insights and case studies.
In this course, occupational therapist and health ethics researcher Emily Marshall examines language discordance, where a health professional and client do not share proficiency in the same language. Drawing on her master's research in the public health system, she presents a framework linking language barriers to five ethical principles: beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, justice and confidentiality. Case studies and reflective scenarios help South African psychologists, counsellors and allied health professionals evaluate the tensions they may meet in their own work. The course is accredited by the HPCSA for CPD points and suits practitioners in public and private settings.
Language discordance - where the health professional and client do not share proficiency in the same language, is a widespread issue across healthcare and therapeutic contexts. In this insightful and practical talk, occupational therapist and health ethics researcher Emily Marshall explores the ethical complexities that arise when language barriers interfere with the therapeutic alliance and clinical decision-making.
Drawing on her master’s research into the public health system, Emily presents a structured framework for understanding how language discordance intersects with key ethical principles: beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, and confidentiality. Through real-world case studies and reflective clinical scenarios, participants will be invited to critically evaluate the ethical tensions they may encounter in their own practice.
This talk is suitable for psychologists, counsellors, and allied health professionals working in both public and private settings.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this talk, participants will be able to:
Define language discordance and its relevance in therapeutic and clinical contexts.
Examine how language discordance can impact ethical decision-making across five core principles.
Reflect on the real-world ethical implications of communication barriers in diverse healthcare settings.
Strengthen clinical reasoning skills through analysis of case-based scenarios.
Identify practical considerations for ethical and culturally responsive communication in practice.