Resident communication practices during interpreter-mediated family-centered rounds

Pediatric residents are required to learn and demonstrate communication skills applicable to a range of cultural backgrounds, including patients and families who use a language other than English. Our study utilized an observational tool, the adapted Faculty Observer Rating Scale (aFORS), to characterize communication practices during interpreter-mediated family-centered rounds and compare behaviors by patient language and interpreter modality. Following 31 observations, we identified four behaviors performed <75% of the time: (1) providing clinical context to the interpreter, (2) allowing patient/caregiver to speak first, (3) teach-back, and (4) developing rapport. No differences were identified by patient language. During encounters with in-person interpreters, residents always used plain language (p-value 0.0149) and had higher-ranked adapted Faculty Observer Rating Scale (aFORS) summary scores (p-value 0.01). Curricula to train residents should focus on skills to strengthen interpreter partnership, build rapport with families, and mitigate challenges to working with remote interpreters.