Exploring local public health work in the context of novel translation technologies

Limited English proficiency (LEP) leads to disparities in health and health care. Although the LEP population in the US is growing and federal regulations require availability of translated health promotion materials, availability of these materials is lacking, partially due to the costs and time required to produce high quality translations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with employees involved in the translation process at three local health districts (LHDs) in Washington State to explore the potential for novel technologies to assist in the creation of multilingual health promotion materials. We generated a translation workflow diagram and analyzed key themes that affected the translation process. We also explored employees' opinions regarding electronic document exchange and machine translation technology (MT). Overall, public health employees were open to the incorporation of information technologies to speed the translation and dissemination of multilingual public health materials if quality could be assured.