Increased Access to Professional Interpreters in the Hospital Improves Informed Consent for Patients with Limited English Proficiency.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Language barriers disrupt communication and impede informed consent for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) undergoing healthcare procedures. Effective interventions for this disparity remain unclear.

Objective

Assess the impact of a bedside interpreter phone system intervention on informed consent for patients with LEP and compare outcomes to those of English speakers.

Design

Prospective, pre-post intervention implementation study using propensity analysis.

Subjects

Hospitalized patients undergoing invasive procedures on the cardiovascular, general surgery or orthopedic surgery floors.

Intervention

Installation of dual-handset interpreter phones at every bedside enabling 24-h immediate access to professional interpreters.

Main

SUBMITTER: Lee JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5515780 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature