The Complexities of Assessing Language and Interpreter Preferences in Pediatrics

Abstract

Providing patients, parents, and families high-quality healthcare in the language of their choice is a fundamental component of patient-centered care in pediatric settings. However, language needs may be complex and dynamic, creating clinical and ethical challenges in cases of provider–parent discordance regarding the need for an interpreter. In this perspectives article, we use a clinical encounter as a foundation to discuss the intricacies of addressing language needs in pediatrics. We also describe the urgent need for further innovation and improvement in linguistic supports available to diverse patients and families.

Using patient companions as interpreters in the Emergency Department: An interdisciplinary quantitative and qualitative assessment

“…A major reason for medical staff not to call in PIs, even if they were present on-site, was that the process of calling and locating them was perceived as too time consuming and cumbersome [8,12,13,32,36]. The lack of prior information on the patient's language skills complicates this process [8,37,38].…”

“…For instance, omissions can be reduced by insisting that information be conveyed to the patient, since omissions occur primarily in the doctor-to-patient direction. In addition to raising awareness among doctors on the potential risks of using AHIs, EDs should adjust their management to increase the utilization of on site and remote PIs [13,38,45,50]. Note: For some of the interpretation inaccuracies, it was impossible to assess the potential clinical impact due to the difficulty to understand the exact words of the AHI.…”

A survey of Korean elementary schoolteachers on their communication with students and parents from migrant backgrounds and the need for quality language services

“…Children of migrant families often interpret for their parents or others who do not speak the language of the host country. This type of informal interpreting is called 'language brokering' (Hall, 2004;Morales & Hanson, 2005), and is considered inappropriate in the community interpreting literature given that children should not be expected to interpret sensitive or confidential information that is inappropriate for their age (Ragavan and Cowden, 2018;Shackman, 1984;Victorian Government, n.d.).…”

Bilingual and Bicultural Research Teams: Unpacking the Complexities

“…Although bilingualism often is treated as a binary concept (i.e., a person is either bilingual or not), language proficiency lies on a spectrum and is specific to a context. 6 Because of this, bilingualism in health care settings has begun to take on a professional definition as the importance for specific levels of proficiency depending on context has become clear. [7][8][9] In the past, any degree of bilingual ability was considered ''better than nothing'' in medical interactions, and self-assessment of language competency was allowed and even encouraged.…”