Alterations in medical interpretation during routine primary care

Area of Science:

• Medical Communication
• Health Services Research
• Linguistics in Medicine

Background:

• Growing demand for medical interpretation services.
• Limited research on interpretation accuracy and health outcomes.
• Need to understand impact on healthcare delivery for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP).

Purpose of the Study:

• Determine frequency, type, and clinical significance of alterations in medical interpretation.
• Focus on best-case scenarios with trained interpreters and established patients.

Main Methods:

• Audio-recording and transcription of outpatient clinic visits involving interpreters.
• Identification and characterization of interpretation alterations per utterance.
• Calculation of alteration rates and assessment of clinical significance.

Main Results:

• 31% of all utterances contained an alteration during routine clinical encounters.
• Only 5% of alterations were clinically significant (1% positive, 4% negative impact).

Conclusions:

• Substantial rate of interpretation alterations persists even in optimal conditions.
• Targeted training for interpreters and clinicians can enhance provider-LEP patient communication quality.