Communicating with foreign language-speaking patients: is access to professional interpreters enough?

Area of Science:

• Medical communication
• Healthcare access
• Linguistic services in healthcare

Background:

• Trained interpreters are crucial for effective communication with limited English proficiency patients.
• Reliance on ad hoc interpreters (bilingual staff, family) is common but linked to poorer healthcare quality.
• Existing practices often overlook the necessity of professional linguistic assistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate healthcare professionals' attitudes and practices regarding the use of interpreters.
• To assess the perceived adequacy and actual utilization of professional interpreter services.
• To identify barriers to the use of trained interpreters in clinical settings.

Main Methods:

• A mailed, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to healthcare professionals.
• The study surveyed medical and nursing department heads at Geneva University Hospitals.
• Attitudes and practices concerning interpreter use and adequacy were measured.

Main Results:

• A 66% response rate was achieved, with 99 questionnaires returned.
• A significant majority of respondents utilized ad hoc interpreters (43-86%) over professional ones (5-39%).
• Professional interpreters were often bypassed due to cost, scheduling, and a belief that ad hoc interpreters were sufficient, despite awareness of quality differences.

Conclusions:

• Availability of professional interpreters does not ensure their utilization by healthcare providers for limited French proficiency patients.
• Future interventions must include systematic patient identification, context-sensitive strategies, and institutional policies mandating qualified interpreter use.
• Addressing provider and institutional constraints is key to improving linguistic assistance for all patients.