A Qualified Multilingual Assessment for Medical Students: A Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Communication
• Linguistics in Healthcare

Background:

• Effective clinical communication is vital for patient safety, especially for non-English language speakers.
• No standardized method exists in the U.S. to assess oral non-English language skills in medical students.
• Multilingual medical students are a valuable resource for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a qualified multilingual assessment (QMA) for medical students.
• To assess the impact of language proficiency assessment on student confidence and patient interaction.
• To explore the use of non-English languages in clinical settings by medical students.

Main Methods:

• Medical students self-reporting high oral proficiency in non-English languages were invited to take the ALTA Speaking and Listening Assessment.
• Surveys collected student perceptions of the assessment and their experiences using non-English languages with patients post-rotation.
• Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were summarized.

Main Results:

• 92 eligible students completed 102 ALTA exams, with 81 passing at least one.
• The assessment was rated highly for accuracy (82.3%) and ease of scheduling (97.2%), though some found it formal.
• Among students completing rotations, 66.7% were asked to interpret, and 50% regularly used a non-English language with patients, reporting increased confidence and rapport.

Conclusions:

• The qualified multilingual assessment (QMA) proved feasible and acceptable for medical students.
• Student use of non-English languages in clinical settings increased confidence and patient rapport.
• Further research is needed to distinguish direct language-concordant care skills from medical interpretation abilities.