Noura A. Abouammoh

6.1.2 Patient characteristics

Sixteen Saudi patients with T2DM were recruited in the study (Table 6.2). Twelve of them were from the PHCCs and four from the hospital.
Table 6.2 Patients’ characteristics

Patient	Age/gender	Education	Time since diagnosis	Treating physician	PHCC
Patients from PHCC
P1	35/F	Higher education	3 years	-	North1
P2	57/M	Community college	5 years	IMG9	East1
P3	42/M	High school	3 years	IMG9	East1
P4	62/F	Primary	12 years	IMG12	East1
P5	55/F	Secondary	6 years	-	East2
P6	50/F	Secondary	8 years	IMG16	West1
P7	39/F	Secondary	7 years	IMG 15	South1
P8	43/M	Community college	2 years	IMG17	South1
P9	60/M	Primary	6years	IMG19	West2
P10	56/M	Community college	9 years	IMG19	West2
P11	67/M	Illiterate	4 years	IMG10	North1
P12	65/M	Community college	6 years	IMG10	North1
Patients from KKUH
P13	70/F	Illiterate	5 years	Hospital	---
P14	45/F	Secondary	10 years	Hospital	---
P15	65/F	Secondary	4 years	Hospital	---
P16	58/M	Illiterate	7 years	Hospital	---

Of the physicians who were asked to recruit “hard to reach” patients or “non-attenders” who may have poor control over their diabetes only one patient was recruited (P1) and 3 others were suggested to the researcher by the IMGs (P3, P10 and P11).

All patients were interviewed on the health care premises apart from one female patient (P1) who chose to be interviewed in a café.

6.2 Language as a barrier to communication

The language/dialect barrier to IMG-patient communication and interaction was identified as a distinct issue that cuts across all the themes identified from the data. It is well known from the literature, and apparent from the study’s findings, that language/dialect is a common barrier to effective cross-cultural communication. This subject has already been extensively studied and researched and therefore it is not the intention of this study to present issues related to language in particular. However, it is important to provide some general context concerning language and dialect in SA before presenting the study’s findings. This will help readers to understand the relevant language issues that influence cross-cultural medical communication in SA.