Bilingual Care in Clinical Trials—Understanding the Need for Expanded Research in Latino Communities

Abstract

The emergency department (ED) is often the front line of health care. It is here when patients are in their most vulnerable state and sometimes the most receptive to intervention. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is a model aimed at delivering early intervention and providing services for persons with substance use disorders. Automated bilingual computerized alcohol screening and intervention (AB-CASI) is a tool used to screen and provide intervention via an electronic format in the preferred language of the patient.The article by Vaca et al 1 provides the results of a randomized clinical trial investigating the use of a bilingual alcohol screening tool vs standard care to reduce high-risk alcohol consumption in Latino ED patients. The authors 1 that found those who received the trial intervention had significantly fewer binge drinking episodes within the last 28 days at 12 months after randomization.In addition, Latino participants more often preferred to use the bilingual tool in the Spanish language.Importantly, these results show the need for research, specifically clinical trials, involving Latino participants and the success of a bilingual tool in providing care using the preferred languages of patients in the ED.In recent years, alcohol consumption trends have shifted in the US, with more people drinking heavily and experiencing alcohol-related problems. According to a study of alcohol-related mortality in the US, 2 alcohol-related deaths have increased by almost 50% over the past 2 decades. Certain communities, particularly Latino populations, encounter disparities in accessing care for alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Another study 3 found that Latino individuals are less likely to receive appropriate care for AUDs despite experiencing high rates of alcohol-related problems. This lack of access to care is associated with social and cultural factors, such as stigma and language barriers, and highlights the need for culturally appropriate and accessible treatment options for Latino individuals with AUDs.