atención al paciente
/atenθjon al paθjente/from spelling rules
In Spanish, patient care is atención al paciente.
This phrase refers to the medical treatment and support provided to a person receiving healthcare.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of atención (attention/care), al (to the) and paciente (patient).
Which one should you use?
While atención al paciente is the standard term for medical attention, cuidado del paciente can also be used to emphasize the physical tending or nursing aspect of care.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, asistencia al paciente is commonly used to refer to patient care. In Colombia, both cuidado al paciente and asistencia médica are often used to express the concept of patient care.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to the care of multiple patients, change the article and noun to the plural atención a los pacientes.
How do you pronounce it?
/atenθjon al paθjente/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word atención is used for both 'medical care' and 'customer service' ( atención al cliente ).
- The Spanish word paciente comes from the Latin 'patientem', which originally meant 'one who suffers' or 'one who endures'.
- While atención means care, the related verb atender can mean 'to treat a patient' or simply 'to answer the phone'.
Examples in context
- Nuestro hospital se enorgullece de la atención al paciente que ofrece.Our hospital takes pride in the patient care it provides.
- Nosotros brindamos un excelente cuidado del paciente en nuestro consultorio.We provide excellent patient care in our clinic.
- La atención al paciente es nuestra prioridad.Patient care is our priority.
- El hospital mejora su atención al paciente.The hospital is improving its patient care.
- Necesitamos más personal para la atención al paciente.We need more staff for patient care.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing hospital standards in the hallway.
- MaríaJavier, ¿cómo va la atención al paciente hoy?Javier, how is the patient care going today?
- JavierTodo bien, María, pero necesitamos más enfermeras.Everything is fine, María, but we need more nurses.
- MaríaEs cierto, eso afectaría la atención al paciente.That's true, that would affect patient care.
- JavierSí, hablemos con el director mañana.Yes, let's talk to the director tomorrow.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries atención, paciente, CC BY-SA 4.0.
