| Learning Objective #1: Appreciate complexities of health care interpreters' roles | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Understand program evaluation methods |
Health professionals face many challenges providing patient centred care, particularly for non/limited English speaking patients. It's even more complex when patients and/or families are in crisis or making treatment or end-of-life decisions. Court interpreters provide word-for-word interpretation and must remain neutral in adversarial type encounters. Health care interpreters work with health professionals to promote patient well being. Translating message meaning is critical. Many hospital interpreters have court interpretation backgrounds. The Advanced Cross Cultural Interpretation Program in Health Care was developed to address these concerns. The first three months of 15 month Program includes classroom, lectures and hands-on experience (12 hours/week). Experiential learning with case study approach in real and simulated situations is the major educational approach. Objective: Describe process/outcome evaluation of pilot program started September 2001. Design/sample: Pretest posttest non-equivalent control group design with repeated measures. Experimental group included 12 interpreters who speak Cantonese and Mandarin. Control group included 7 interpreters who speak Punjabi or Cantonese. Methods: Participants successfully passed screening. Self-evaluations completed at baseline and each testing point. Experimental group participated in two audited patient interpretation sessions (9, 14 months) with feedback from auditor, health provider and patient/family. Control group participated in one audited patient interpretation session - no feedback. Interpreter competency assessment instrument, based on Medical Interpreting Standards of Practice (1996) demonstrated content validity. Evaluation included individual interviews with participants to gain perceptions of Program, challenges and strengths, satisfaction, and changes because of participation. Staff were interviewed for their perceptions. Findings: Evaluation interviews were analyzed. Quantitative analysis will be completed when interpretation sessions are done. Analysis to date suggests Program has made a difference in interpreting competencies. Implications: Suggested refinements in participant criteria and program methods. Conclusions: Health interpreters with advanced preparation are better prepared to meet the needs of non/limited English speakers.
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