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Related Experiment Videos

Are good intentions good enough? Informed consent without trained interpreters.

Linda M Hunt1, Katherine B de Voogd

  • 1Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. huntli@msu.edu

Journal of General Internal Medicine
|April 20, 2007
PubMed
Summary
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Patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) face significant challenges in informed consent when trained interpreters are unavailable. Communication barriers consistently disadvantage LEP patients, lowering informed consent scores and impacting healthcare decisions.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Ethics
  • Health Communication
  • Sociolinguistics

Background:

  • Informed consent is crucial for patient autonomy in healthcare.
  • Patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) experience communication barriers in healthcare settings.
  • Legal mandates require competent translation services for LEP patients, yet these are often unavailable.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the informed consent process for patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) when trained language interpreters are absent.
  • To identify communication challenges impacting the quality of informed consent for LEP patients.
  • To compare informed consent criteria and scores between LEP and non-LEP patients.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative study conducted in 8 prenatal genetics clinics in Texas.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Interviews and observations with 16 clinicians and 30 Latina patients.
  • Content analysis of informed consent criteria (voluntariness, alternatives, information, competence) and comparison of scores.

    • Main Results:

    • Communication problems arise from using untrained interpreters or clinicians' limited language skills.
    • LEP patients were disadvantaged across all examined informed consent criteria.
    • Consultations across a language barrier resulted in significantly lower informed consent scores.

    Conclusions:

    • The absence of adequate interpretation raises concerns about whether LEP patients receive sufficient information for truly informed consent.
    • Low-cost strategies can potentially improve language interpretation quality.
    • Enhanced language interpretation is essential for ensuring informed choice in healthcare for LEP patients.