Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 19, 2026
Author Spotlight: Evaluating Clinicians' Adoption of Ultrasound-Guided Vascular Cannulation Through Simulation Training
Published on: August 9, 2024
"It Adds Time and So Much Information Is Lost": Patterns of Interpreter Use and Non-English Language Skills Among
Mariah B Blegen1, Jesus R Torres2, Melinda Maggard-Gibbons3
1Veterans Health Administration, Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California; Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California; National Clinician Scholars Program, University of California, Los Angeles, California.
Objective:
Federal legislation mandates access to certified interpreters in healthcare interactions for patients with non-English language preference (NELP). Yet little is known about barriers to perioperative interpreter use, particularly among surgery resident physicians who may see patients with NELP for consultations, informed consent, and postoperative care. Our objectives were to describe patterns of languages services use among surgery resident physicians and interest in bilingual certification for those with non-English language skills.
Design:
The 25-item cross-sectional survey queried non-English language skills and perspectives of surgery residents across the following domains: (1) accessibility of language services, (2) communication skills, (3) workarounds and time pressure, (4) perceived value, and (5) patterns of interpreter use. Free text responses to barriers and improvement suggestions were thematically categorized.
Setting:
A university-affiliated safety-net hospital, where more than 50% of patients have NELP.
Participants:
Sixty-six surgery residents in 7 specialties completed the survey (40% response rate). Most participants were in general surgery (35%) with the majority in their second to fourth year.
Results:
Thirty-five percent of participants reported interest in taking a bilingual certification exam. Most (41%) felt language services were convenient and 54% felt confident communicating with patients with NELP. Residents sought ad hoc nursing (41%) and medical students (21%) interpretation. Three quarters (75%) felt urgent conditions limit interpreter use. Most agreed interpreters improve quality of care (95%). Inpatient rounds was the setting in which interpreters were least utilized (35% never or rarely use).
Conclusions:
Surgery residents recognize the value of interpreters but describe time and equipment constraints that impede consistent use of language access across different clinical environments of surgical care. These findings suggest training and institutional support specific to the needs of surgery residents may improve language services utilization which is important for both regulatory compliance and patient safety.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
01:30Guidelines for Nursing Documentation I
Factual:
The following points emphasize the significance of upholding accurate and unbiased documentation in healthcare.
01:14SBAR II: Application of SBAR
SBAR Report from a Nurse to a Health Care Provider
S: "Hello, Dr. Smith. This is Jane, RN, from the Med Surg unit. I am calling to tell you about Ms. White in Room 210, who is experiencing increased pain and redness at her incision site. Her recent...
01:26Types of Reports III: Telephone and Verbal Reports
Here's an overview of each type:
Telephone Orders
01:29SBAR I: Understanding the Concept
Standardized methods of communication have been developed to ensure that information is...
01:21Methods of Documentation III: PIE