Abstract
BackgroundOver 41 million people in the United States speak Spanish as their primary language, of which 16 million have limited English proficiency (LEP). It is well-established that language barriers contribute to health disparities and that the use of ad-hoc interpretation by untrained family members results in substandard care. We developed a novel interpreter training program for medical students to serve as in-person interpreters at a charitable, resident continuity clinic so as to overcome the language barrier in the delivery of healthcare to LEP patients.MethodsThe Medical Student Interpreter Training Program (MSITP) consists of three steps. First, fluent Spanish-speaking students shadowed a licensed interpreter. Second, students took a standardized phone exam to demonstrate language proficiency. Finally, students completed a three-hour training on the methodology and ethics of interpreting conducted by the Department of Interpreter Services.ResultsPre- and post-tests were administered to assess students’ familiarity with the Interpreter Code of Ethics and interpreter skills. Familiarity with the Interpreter Code of Ethics increased significantly with all students reporting feeling comfortable (47%) or very comfortable (53%) after training. The pre- and post-tests included free response questions, which were administered to assess competence in the methodology and ethics of interpreting. The cohort’s aggregate score increased by 35% after the training (Wilcoxon signed rank z-score = 2.53; p = .01).ConclusionsImplementing the MSITP resulted in an increased number of trained, Spanish-speaking interpreters available to provide their services to LEP patients at an affiliated charitable clinic and throughout the university hospital. Unlike other program models which are time and resource-intensive, this program is replicable and easily managed by volunteers. The MSITP is an effective model for training students as medical interpreters to ensure the delivery of quality healthcare for LEP patients.
Highlights
Over 41 million people in the United States speak Spanish as their primary language, of which 16 million have limited English proficiency (LEP)
The Medical Student Interpreter Training Program (MSITP) consists of a three-step process: (1) shadowing a licensed hospital interpreter for one hour (2) taking the ALTA Language Services Qualified Bilingual Staff (QBS) Assessment via telephone, a standardized phone exam which consists of 5 sections: conversation/social, customer service, nursing diagnosis and instructions, medical terminology, and sight translation, [27] and (3) attending a one-time, three-hour interpreter instruction session conducted by the department of interpreter services, which includes multiple practice scenarios and an informal evaluation of the trainees’ interpretation skills
Of the students that did not pass, five of the seven achieved level 1 status on the QBS phone exam, and they intend to retake the exam after reviewing their medical Spanish vocabulary (Table 1)
Summary
Over 41 million people in the United States speak Spanish as their primary language, of which 16 million have limited English proficiency (LEP) It is well-established that language barriers contribute to health disparities and that the use of ad-hoc interpretation by untrained family members results in substandard care. Carlson et al BMC Medical Education (2022) 22:27 for physicians that are treating LEP patients to turn to bilingual family members or untrained, ostensibly bilingual staff for interpretation when a licensed interpreter is not immediately available [12, 13]. These interpreter trained students can assist in language appropriate care through volunteering in their university hospital and at affiliated free or charitable clinics [11, 25]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
