Evaluating the Impact of a Standardized Spanish Glossary on Interpreters in Palliative Care

Linguistic and cultural barriers prevent Spanish-speaking patients from engaging with palliative care. While professional interpreter services improve patient outcomes during end-of-life (EOL) conversations, interpreters report high stress due to emotionally challenging content and a lack of culturally appropriate linguistic equivalents.

This study assessed the impact of providing a standardized glossary on the experience of interpreters during complex palliative care conversations.

An English glossary was created at a seventh grade reading level and validated by over 50 palliative care clinicians. Three native speakers trained in interpretation translated these terms and integrated them into the Spanish Interpretation Glossary (SIG). Spanish interpreters were recruited to use the SIG over six weeks after which their experience was assessed via an anonymized retrospective cross-sectional pre-post survey.

Participants were primarily Hispanic (58%), women (78%), native speakers (78%) and averaged more than 10 years of experience. Following SIG use, over 70% of participants reported increased efficiency and comfort in their interpretation. When each glossary term was independently assessed, there were significant increases in Likert scale interquartile ranges indicating improved interpreter confidence post-SIG use. All words were scored as More Confident or Highly Confident once the SIG was given.

This study is the first documentation of interpreter demographics in palliative care. It also demonstrates how the use of a standardized glossary can improve the interpreter experience during complex EOL and palliative care conversations.