Attitudes of Chinese-Speaking Patients about Language and Cultural Mediation in Tuscan Healthcare Environments: Findings and Implications from a Survey

Abstract

The overseas Chinese population in Italy exceeds 300,000 (ISTAT 2023), making Italy one of the main European destinations for this demographic. In Tuscany, approximately 68,000 Chinese residents live across 210 municipalities, representing over 16% of the total foreign population and one of the most prevalent nationalities in the region (Regione Toscana 2023). This contribution presents findings from Subproject 3 of THE (Tuscany Health Ecosystem) – Spoke 3, which investigates foreigners’ attitudes towards the Italian public healthcare system and their interactions with medical personnel. The study first provides an overview of formal and informal Language and Cultural Mediation (LCM) practices in Tuscan healthcare settings. It also reviews specific programs aimed at promoting professional mediation, including initiatives implemented in other Italian regions, evaluating their success and effectiveness. The core findings are based on a questionnaire administered to 208 Chinese-speaking patients who interacted with the Tuscan healthcare system. The survey was designed using the Wenjuanxing 问卷星 platform (Bing and Brown 2018) and distributed mainly via WeChat in 2024 to Chinese-speaking residents with prolonged experience in Tuscany. The questionnaire aimed to examine the types of mediation available to Chinese patients in healthcare settings and to assess their attitudes and perceptions regarding these services. The contribution presents quantitative results from data collection, followed by a statistical analysis of heterogeneous attitudes towards mediation services according to age, gender, and length of residence in Italy. Results confirm the importance of LCM, including for long-term residents, while also highlighting the widespread use of informal mediation and language brokering alongside professional services. The study ultimately examines the differing impacts of formal and informal mediation on Chinese-speaking patients in Tuscany, with the goal of informing future interventions to strengthen this essential service.