Posted: February 14th, 2023
A 41-year-old male patient presents at the community walk-in clinic with complaints of severe elbow pain radiating into the forearm. His 13-year-old daughter is serving as a translator because her father is unable to speak English and understands only a few words in English. The daughter explains that he has been taking Tylenol to manage pain, but the pain is getting worse and is keeping him from working. You ask the daughter to describe the type of work her father does, and you notice she is hesitant to respond, first checking with her father. He responds, and she translates that he works in construction. Based on the response and the apparent concern, you suspect that the patient may be an undocumented worker. Further conversation reveals that several members of the family are working with the same local construction company.
SOLUTION
As a healthcare provider, it’s important to provide care to all patients, regardless of their immigration status. In this case, further assessment and treatment of the patient’s elbow pain should be provided. However, it may be important to take note of the patient’s occupation and potential undocumented status for future reference or assistance, as they may face unique barriers in accessing healthcare and other resources.
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