Increasing Health Care Workers' Proficiency With Using Professional Medical Interpretation: A Workshop

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Communication
• Healthcare Disparities

Background:

• Limited English proficiency in families is linked to poor health outcomes and medical errors.
• Professional medical interpretation improves care access, patient satisfaction, and health outcomes.
• Medical interpretation is underutilized, with a lack of training guidelines for healthcare workers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To equip healthcare workers with the skills to access and effectively use professional medical interpretation.
• To address the gap in medical education regarding interpretation resources and best practices.

Main Methods:

• A 90-minute workshop was developed and delivered to healthcare workers.
• The workshop included role-playing scenarios and group discussions on interpretation.
• Anonymous evaluations were collected from participants.

Main Results:

• The workshop was presented at six academic conferences, with 53 participants.
• 98% of participants reported the workshop met learning objectives and was a valuable use of time.
• 90% intended to apply the learned information to their medical practice, with intentions to change practice and pursue institutional change.

Conclusions:

• The workshop successfully addressed a critical need in medical education.
• It provided a comprehensive overview of interpretation resources and best practices for healthcare professionals.