WIP 113 - Understanding Trainee and Interpreter Perspectives of Interactions with Patients with Limited English Proficiency in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Poster Number: WIP 113
Publication Number: WIP 113.1000

Background: While disparities in medical care of limited-English proficiency (LEP) families are well documented, appropriate interpretation and translation services can decrease their impact. Milwaukee is home to a growing population of LEP families who utilize pediatric EDs as a medical home. Notably, many of these patients are cared for by teams with trainees, who become key players in providing medical information to families in low and high acuity encounters. Better understanding of the interactions between medical trainees and interpreters can allow for targeted interventions to continue improving interactions with LEP families, ideally reducing known disparities in care and outcomes.

Objective: Our objective is to investigate the interactions between medical trainees and in-person interpreters in the pediatric ED by: 1) assessing medical trainee knowledge, skills, and comfort when using an in-person interpreter; 2) comparing medical trainee responses with those of trained medical interpreters based on their own knowledge, skills, and comfort while working with medical trainees. Responses from both parties will allow us to curate education to improve interactions, which we can subsequently assess for improved skill and comfort in LEP patient encounters.

Design/Methods: Mirrored surveys were created to assess both medical trainees’ and interpreters’ formal and informal training, skills, and comfort during LEP patient encounters. Surveys were reviewed and approved by experts in medical education and language services prior to submission to the IRB, with a plan for distribution to trainees and interpreters over the course of a month. Anonymized data will be reviewed securely via Qualtrics and analyzed using the Student’s T-test, with a p-value below 0.05 denoting statistical significance. Results will inform educational initiatives, simulations, and just-in-time teaching to improve trainee and medical interpreter interactions, with the goal of improving the quality of LEP pediatric ED encounters while providing equitable care for patients and families.