Open to Interpretation: Design Thinking, Role-Reversal Simulation, Building Empathy in Language-Discordant Care

Linguistic barriers create challenges in delivering effective healthcare, particularly in emergency medicine (EM) where miscommunication has dire consequences. A unique partnership of undergraduate students and EM faculty used design thinking to identify innovative solutions to improve provider understanding of the effects of those barriers on patient care. Empathy interviews with patients and providers evaluated contrasts in patient care between language concordant and discordant encounters, directing development and implementation of a preferred-language role-reversal simulation exercise. This novel exercise was an effective tool to provide education and experience on the care of language-discordant patients. Evaluation exposed lack of confidence in available options and need for technology and resources to help alleviate barriers when traditional avenues for communication fail. Easily adaptable, simulation is useful to explore the impact of language on patient experience. This study highlights the need for further efforts to address quality of patient care when language barriers are present.