Medical students as interpreters in health care situations: “… it's a grey area”

Ryan, Anna; Fisher, Caleb; Chiavaroli, Neville

doi:10.5694/mja2.50235

Cited by 8 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…35 An awareness of the vulnerability of low English proficiency patients, and broader appreciation of the impact of social determinants of health on this patient group is also required. Employment of bilingual workers with interpreter training (rather than using bilingual staff without formal interpreter training) 36 should be considered by health organisations, particularly recognising cultural diversity and new and emerging populations within Australia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of professional interpreters for children and families with limited English proficiency: The intersection with quality and safety

Brophy‐Williams

Boylen

Gill

et al. 2020

J Paediatrics Child Health

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Aim Linguistic diversity is increasing nationally; patients with limited English proficiency require provision of professional interpreters. We reviewed hospital‐wide use of interpreters for low English proficiency in a tertiary hospital across emergency (ED), outpatient and inpatient presentations. Methods Two cohorts with low English proficiency presenting to Princess Margaret Hospital were audited. Records of new Refugee Health Service patients (presenting between January and July 2015) and non‐Refugee Health Service low English proficiency patients (obtained through Language Services bookings) were reviewed to assess demographic profiles and use of interpreters for any occasion of service over the following 12 months (for each patient). Results Data from 188 patients were reviewed (Refugee Health Service: 119 patients; non‐Refugee Health Service: 69 patients; total 1027 occasions of service); all were under 18 years of age. High socio‐economic disadvantage and limited education was noted. Almost all (98.5%) had low English proficiency; 3 Refugee Health Service parents spoke English; 68% of non‐Refugee Health Service patients were in families previously transitioned from that service. Interpreter use was poor across all areas. Thirty‐four patients had 46 inpatient admissions with documented interpreter use for 59% (20/34) of these. All patients underwent at least one procedure, with no instances of interpreter documentation for procedure consent. Documented interpreter use was minimal in outpatient occasions of service (32/118, 27% Refugee Health Service; 18/222, 8% non‐Refugee Health Service). Only one Refugee Health Service patient had evidence of ED interpreter use, out of 78 ED occasions of service (34 patients). Conclusions Despite documented low English proficiency, suboptimal and inadequate use of professional interpreters persists. Low English proficiency patients are vulnerable, with socio‐economic disadvantage, likely to impact on health outcomes and compliance. Organisational risk also is highlighted, including impact on clinical handover, informed consent and non‐compliance with state language services policy. Further staff education and quality improvement work is essential.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of professional interpreters for children and families with limited English proficiency: The intersection with quality and safety

Brophy‐Williams

Boylen

Gill

et al. 2020

J Paediatrics Child Health

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“…I am also struck during these meetings by the diverse experiences that students bring to medical school. It is against a similar backdrop that Ryan and colleagues examined the frequency and experiences of medical students acting as interpreters in health care settings, as reported in this issue of the Journal . Their study brings into the open a question rarely discussed in Australia: that of medical students acting as interpreters during clinical placement.…”

mentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Accredited interpreters engage in continuous professional development and must be able to decline work beyond their competence. The power imbalance experienced by bilingual medical students was starkly described by one student in the study by Ryan and her colleagues: “it's hard to say no to senior doctors to interpret.”…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Should medical students act as interpreters?

Carney

2019

Medical Journal of Australia

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“…Medical students are proficient in medical terminologies, are familiar with the structure of healthcare institutions, are available onsite, and are trained in ethics and the intricacies of medical communication. As some healthcare institutions are exploring the role of medical students as medical interpreters, 15,25 more knowledge of the current evidence regarding the use of medical student interpreters is required to address these issues, specifically the current landscape of medical student interpretation, the existing interpretation training programs, as well as the benefits and risks associated with this practice. To address these knowledge gaps, a scoping review was conducted.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Medical Students as Interpreters in Bridging Language Barriers across Academic Healthcare Centers: Scoping Review

Chen,

Liu,

Naumova

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Background: Linguistic concordance between healthcare providers and patients is critical for ensuring quality healthcare. Professional interpretation can be expensive and challenging to access. This scoping review aimed to explore the evidence on the role and education of medical students as interpreters in caring for patients with limited language proficiency (LLP), and to determine the benefits and risks associated with this practice. Methods: A scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology was conducted. Six literature databases were searched systematically between 1946 – 02 Aug 2023. All publications discussing the use of medical students as interpreters in healthcare settings were included. Retained documents were analyzed using Covidence, with coding by two raters and regular team discussions. A thematic analysis framework was used. Results: Thirteen articles met the eligibility criteria. Multilingual medical students are frequently asked to interpret in healthcare settings. This was found to be advantageous in reducing communication barriers, improving care quality, and contributing to students’ clinical experience. Concerns were raised regarding the lack of knowledge on the professional obligations of interpreters. Interpretation training programs for medical students have been implemented at selective healthcare centres and demonstrated successful results in providing care to LLP patients. Conclusions: Medical students play an important role in addressing language barriers in healthcare institutions when serving LLP patients, by combining their unique position in the healthcare team with their medical, linguistic, and cultural competency skills. Academic institutions stand to benefit from offering interpretation training programs and integrating medical students as a resource towards delivering language-concordant care.

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Medical students as interpreters in health care situations: “… it's a grey area”

Abstract: Objective: To examine the extent to which medical students in Australia are acting as interpreters in medical settings, and their perceptions of this activity.

Cited by 8 publications

References 17 publications

Use of professional interpreters for children and families with limited English proficiency: The intersection with quality and safety

Use of professional interpreters for children and families with limited English proficiency: The intersection with quality and safety

Should medical students act as interpreters?

Role of Medical Students as Interpreters in Bridging Language Barriers across Academic Healthcare Centers: Scoping Review

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