how to work effectively with interpreters photo credit: billie young from the book my heart is...

How to Work Effectively

With Interpreters

Photo credit: Billie Young from the book My Heart is Delicious

Interpreting Stakeholder Group, 2009 2

Workshop Goal

To improve communication with patients with Limited English Proficiency by learning techniques for working with interpreters.


Workshop Objectives

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

Describe the advantages for patient satisfaction and safety of working with a qualified interpreter.

Describe the requirements for reducing language barriers.

Define the relative roles of the provider, patient, and interpreter.


Hold Your Breath

1/ What went wrong? In each circle on your handout describe the person’s behavior and the role they are playing.

2/How could this situation have been improved?Turn your handout over and on the other side suggest better behaviors and/or an appropriate role for each person.


Patients with language barriers

• Have longer hospital stays

• Make fewer visits and receive fewer preventive services

• Are less likely to use or return to clinics

• Score lower on health knowledge and understanding of diagnosis and treatment

• Are less satisfied

Fortier, J., & Bishop, D. “Developing a Research Agenda for Cultural Competence in Health Care, Rockville”, MD: OMH and AHRQ, 2002.


LEP patients who need, but do not get interpreters

• Are more likely to receive intravenous hydration and to be admitted to the hospital (Hampers and McNulty 2002)

• Are at greater risk of being discharged from the emergency department without a follow-up appointment (Sarver and Baker 2000)

• Have more tests done, creating a higher overall cost (Hampers and McNulty 2002)


Use of trained professional interpreters was associated with:

• Lower admission rates from the ED (Hampers and McNulty, 2002)

• A decrease in utilization disparities for outpatient preventive services (Jacobs et al, 2001)

• Reduced ED return and referral rates (Bernstein et al. 2002)


In summary• Using trained interpreters can:

• Improve patients’ health outcomes• Improve patients’ primary care utilization• Increase patients’ perceived

understanding of their care• Increase patient and provider satisfaction

• Using trained interpreters may:• reduce medical complications• lower the cost of care in the long run(Interpreter Services Workgroup report, Feb 2008)


Requirements to use language services• Quality health care• Demographics: increase in limited English

proficient (LEP) clients• Regulatory:

• Federal law (Title VI of Civil Rights Act), CLAS Standards

• State law (Minnesota statutes)• Accreditation mandates (JCAHO)

• Financial: reduce ER use, reduce unnecessary admissions, decrease diagnostic test costs

Like, R., et al. “Cross-Cultural Communication in Health Care: Building Organizational Capacity, HRSA and OMH, DHHS Satellite Broadcast, June 4, 2003.


Key ethical principles for interpreters

• Accuracy• Confidentiality• Impartiality• Acting in a professional and ethical

manner

National Council on Interpreting in Health Care, 2004

www.ncihc.org


Guidelines for Working Effectively with

Interpreters

Before the appointment• Make sure that you are working with a

qualified interpreter and not a family member or friend.

• Brief the interpreter on what to expect in the meeting, where necessary.

• Plan enough time – it may take longer than an English-only appointment.


During the appointment

• Expect and encourage the interpreter to avoid spending time alone with the patient when not providing language services.

• Remember that the interpreter is required to interpret everything said in the room – curse words, side conversations, and ‘irrelevant’ or repetitive comments included.

• Face the patient and talk to them directly, as if you both spoke the same language.


During the appointment II…

• Don’t speak too fast. Pause after each complete thought and/or when the interpreter signals to you to allow for the interpretation.

• Ask only one question at a time. Don’t ‘chain’ your questions.

• Confirm understanding by asking the patient to repeat key information back to you.


During the appointment III• Be aware of the education level and/or health

literacy of your patient in order to phrase your message at an appropriate level. Avoid using acronyms and idioms.

• You are communicating THROUGH the interpreter but TO the patient. Dealing with cultural differences and the personality of the patient is primarily your job, not the interpreter’s. Some examples of things to keep in mind regarding cultural and linguistic differences:• There may be less eye contact with the patient than

you customarily expect;• A smile or nod on the part of the patient may not

indicate total agreement.


After the appointment

• Debrief with the interpreter, if necessary, about the communication process.


Questions?

Thank you for coming!


Objectives of Session 2

At the end of the session, participants will be able

to: Demonstrate specific techniques for

working with trained and untrained interpreters

Identify the importance of using alternative ‘layman’s terms’ to explain medical terminology

Identify core competencies they have acquired through a post-test activity


Video Vignette 1

• Have you experienced a situation similar to that portrayed in this vignette?

• What factors from the ‘cheat sheet’ distributed in Part 1 of this training are at play in this scenario?


Video Vignette 2

• Have you experienced a situation similar to that portrayed in this vignette?

• What factors from the ‘cheat sheet’ distributed in Part 1 of this training are at play in this scenario?


Final vignette

• How might you implement these strategies in your work environment?

• What challenges might you face implementing these strategies?


Post Test Question 1

Which of the questions below would encourage direct

communication with your patient?

a) Please ask him why he came to see me today.

b) Are you still having stomach pains? c) Fatima, could you ask her if she is currently

taking any medications?



Draw an arrow todemonstrate how you might move one of the parties out

of this positioning in order to communicate as directly as possible with your patient.

INTERPRETER

PROVIDERPATIENT



If you, the provider, feel that the communication is

being impeded by inaccurate interpreting, a good option to check understanding is: a) Ask the patient to repeat the information back

to you.b) Ask the interpreter whether they are

interpreting accurately.c) Ask the interpreter if they think the patient

understood.



It is appropriate to ask the interpreter’s opinion about cultural

issues:

a) Whenever you are working with a patient from a different culture.

b) When you are uncertain what cultural factors are at play in the patient’s care.

c) When you are unable to get an explanation from the patient him/herself.



Name two possible consequences when patients

with LEP are not provided a qualified interpreter.


How might these concepts be explained in layman’s terms?

• Pap smear• Inhaler• CAT scan• Angiogram• Preeclampsia

• Autism• PTSD• Food support• Retrospective

eligibility



Which of the questions below would encourage direct

communication with your patient?

a) Please ask him why he came to see me today.

b) Are you still having stomach pains? c) Fatima, could you ask her if she is currently

taking any medications?



b) Are you still having stomach pains?





INTERPRETER

PROVIDERCLIENT



If you feel that the communication isbeing impeded by inaccurate interpreting, a

good option to check understanding is: a) Ask the patient to repeat the information

back to you.b) Ask the interpreter whether they are

interpreting accurately.c) Ask the interpreter if they think the patient

understood.



a) Ask the patient to repeat the information back to you.



It is most appropriate to ask the interpreter’s opinion about

cultural issues:

a) Whenever you are working with a patient from a different culture.

b) When you are wondering whether cultural factors are at play.




Name two possible consequences when patients

with LEP are not provided a qualified interpreter.



Patients are more likely to receive intravenous hydration and to be admitted to the hospital (Hampers and McNulty 2002)

Patients are at greater risk of being discharged from the emergency department without a follow-up appointment (Sarver and Baker 2000)

Patients have more tests done creating a higher overall cost (Hampers and McNulty 2002)

Patients are more likely to be admitted to the ED (Hampers and McNulty, 2002) and to return to the ED (Bernstein et al. 2002)

Patients are less likely to use outpatient preventive services (Jacobs et al, 2001)


Q + A

Please feel free to ask the facilitator any questions you have.

Thanks for coming!


Supplementary Materials

Shadowing and role play activities


Interpreting simulation experience

• The following exercise illustrates the dual-tasking challenge of simultaneous interpreting.

• You don’t need to speak another language to participate.


What to do

• The facilitator will read you an English text.

• As the facilitator reads the text aloud you should try to quietly repeat out loud EXACTLY what s/he says, lagging behind the original speaker by a few seconds.

• You should try to make your speech as smooth as possible.

• Again, you should repeat EVERYTHING the facilitator says.


Role-play Activity

Participant 1: Interpreter Participant 2: Provider Participant 3: Patient

You will be observing an improvised provider-patient interaction, in which some of the typical challenges of triadic communication (without a trained interpreter) occur.

Observe this role-play and call “freeze” when you see a challenge for the provider. Then, as a group, you will need to decide how best to respond to the situation.


Role-Play Questions

Which standards of the interpreting profession were not adhered to in this case?

What could the interpreter, client (and perhaps the provider) have done differently to improve the communication?


Supplementary Materials: FAQs

• How do I know if my patient needs an interpreter?

• What is the difference between working with a telephonic and an in-person interpreter?

• Are interpreter services reimbursed? If so, how?

• How can my interpreters get trained?• Why has the need for interpreting services

occurred? • What is the difference between translation

and interpreting?


Identifying your patient’s language needsSome points to consider:

• The patient may not be able to talk comfortably about the complexities of health care even if they are proficient in ‘conversational’ English. In order to save face patients may claim to understand more than they actually do.

• The patient may not know that they have a right to an interpreter, or may think that they will have to pay extra for interpreting services.


Continued…

• It is often awkward for reception staff to ask patients about their language proficiency, and difficult for either the staff or patient to assess English language skills.

• A screening question such as “In which language would you prefer to receive your medical care?” can garner more accurate information than “Do you need an interpreter?”


Working with telephonic interpreters

• A dual handset telephone should be used for decent sound quality. Ensure you have the necessary number and, if necessary, access code(s).

• Minimize background noise• Many of the techniques for working with in-

person and telephonic interpreters are the same. For example, always speak directly to the patient.

• When working with a telephonic interpreter it is important to brief the interpreter by introducing everyone present in the room and stating the purpose of the encounter before starting the conversation.


telephonic interpreting continued…

• Telephonic interpreting can be extremely useful for short calls to and/or conversations with patients. It is certainly preferable to use a phone interpreter rather than family members, friends, or other unqualified bilinguals.

• The phone is not suitable for certain situations, including giving bad news, mental health, teaching scenarios requiring physical demonstration, and times when the patient cannot use the phone easily.

• Video interpreting technology is opening up new possibilities in the area of remote interpreting.


Interpreter Services Reimbursement: Minnesota Law

256B.0625 COVERED SERVICES Subd. 18a. Access to medical services

(d) Regardless of the number of employees that an enrolled health care provider may have, medical assistance covers sign and oral language interpreter services when provided by an enrolled health care provider during the course of providing a direct, person-to-person covered health care service to an enrolled recipient with limited English proficiency or who has a hearing loss and uses interpreting services


MA Fee-for-service Policy

This policy applies to Fee-for-Service MA and

MnCare enrollees

For enrollees of managed care plans contact the

individual health plan for coverage policy

Any questions contact MHCP Provider Relations

(800) 366-5411 or (651) 431-2700



Providers are responsible for arranging and paying the interpreter.

Providers are encouraged to use the same principles when hiring, contracting or arranging for interpreting services.

Provider’s office staff members competent in spoken language interpretation may interpret the medical service and are reimbursed.

Interpreter services provided to the parent/guardian when the patient is a minor are reimbursed.

Providers are encouraged not to use family members and are not reimbursed if they do so.



Interpreter services provided during a covered medical service are reimbursed.

Three people must be present for the service to be covered (but the interpreter can be on the phone)

Bill only for direct face-to-face/video/phone service time

Use HCPCS code T1013 (1 unit= 15 minutes) MHCP payment rate is the lower of $12.50, or the

usual and customary charge, for each 15-minute unit

Bill DHS directly for dual eligible recipients


Interpreter training opportunities

Interpreting Stakeholder groupwww.umtia.org/isg/isg.html

Program in Translation and Interpreting,

University of Minnesota 612-625-0591 www.cce.umn.edu/pti

Interpreting Program, Century College


Changing demographics


U.S. Hispanic Population growth


‘Interpreter’ or ‘translator’?

InterpretingThe conversion of

spokenmessages from one

languageto another

TranslationThe conversion of written messages from one language to another


One job, three modes

Consecutive Interpreting

The interpreter interpretsAFTER you have uttered asentence of a few

sentences

Simultaneous Interpreting

The interpreter interprets while youcontinue to talk. The interpretermay lag a few seconds behind youin order to understand the messageas fully as possible before

interpreting.

Sight translationThe interpreter converts a written message in one

language into an oralmessage in another language

how to work effectively with interpreters photo credit: billie young from the book my heart is...

Documents

lep patients

cost of care

health knowledge

ed hampers

hospital hampers

er use

careincrease patient

patient satisfaction