Training Physician Assistants to Use Medical Interpreters Effectively

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Communication
• Physician Assistant Studies

Background:

• Effective communication is crucial in healthcare, especially when working with interpreters for limited English-proficient patients.
• Physician assistant (PA) training needs to address the unique challenges of cross-cultural communication and interpreter utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the reliability of a tool measuring PA communication skills with interpreters.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a training program designed to enhance PA students' ability to work with interpreters during patient assessments.

Main Methods:

• Six groups of PA students underwent training on interpreter-assisted communication.
• Students were assessed using a validated instrument during standardized patient encounters with an interpreter.
• Data were analyzed using multivariable Poisson regression.

Main Results:

• Usable data were collected from 439 PA students.
• The median performance score was 10 out of 12 areas assessed.
• Significant variations in performance were observed across student cohorts, with 'Teach-Back' and 'thanking the interpreter' identified as areas needing improvement.

Conclusions:

• PA students demonstrated a generally good level of competency when communicating with interpreters.
• Targeted training interventions are necessary to refine specific communication techniques, such as Teach-Back and acknowledging the interpreter's role.