Language Use in Nigerian Healthcare Settings: Communication Between Doctors and Patients in Kano State Teaching Hospital

This study investigates language use patterns in doctor-patient communication at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, North West Nigeria. Effective health communication is a cornerstone of patient safety and clinical outcomes, yet the linguistic dimensions of medical consultations in multilingual Nigerian hospital settings remain poorly documented. The study adopts a qualitative ethnographic methodology informed by the framework of medical discourse analysis and health communication theory. Data were collected through observation of 40 outpatient consultations, audio-recorded with patient and doctor consent, supplemented by post-consultation interviews with 20 patients and 10 consulting doctors. The analysis examines language choice, information asymmetry, use of technical medical terminology, and comprehension verification strategies. Findings reveal that consultations overwhelmingly favour English for diagnosis and treatment communication, despite many patients being most proficient in Hausa. Doctors frequently fail to verify patient understanding of diagnoses or medication instructions, and the use of Hausa is largely confined to social rapport-building exchanges at the opening and closing of consultations. The study identifies language asymmetry as a significant contributor to medication non-adherence and patient dissatisfaction. Recommendations include mandatory clinical communication training incorporating Hausa for doctors, and the development of bilingual health literacy materials for patient use. Keywords: health communication, doctor-patient interaction, Hausa, Kano, medical discourse.