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Examining Effectiveness of Medical Interpreters in Emergency Departments for Spanish-Speaking Patients With Limited English Proficiency
Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
When provided with a professionally trained interpreter, Spanish-speaking patients expressed very high levels of satisfaction with their emergency department visits.
This trial occurred in the emergency departments (ED) of a suburban and urban hospital in Central New Jersey; both were large hospitals with busy EDs. The authors divided each day into several time-blocks; those blocks were then assigned to control or treatment groups. During control time-blocks, ED patients were provided the hospital’s usual, ad hoc interpreter services. During treatment time-blocks, in addition to the hospital’s interpreter, a professionally trained interpreter was available. Immediately following each visit, patients and providers rated their satisfaction by completing a brief survey.
Key Findings:
- In the treatment group, 96 percent of patients were very satisfied, compared with only 24 percent in the control group.
- In the treatment group, 93 percent of patients found it very easy to understand their interactions, compared with 18 percent in the control group.
- Among physicians and nurses, there was significantly greater satisfaction with treatment versus control group visits.
This study found that the services of a professionally trained Spanish-language interpreter greatly improved patient and provider satisfaction during ED visits.