title: Diabetes care and language discordance among Chinese and Latino primary care patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess differences in diabetes processes of care among Chinese and Latino patients across medical interpreting methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a nested cohort study of patients with diabetes, comparing interpreting methods and their impact on medical outcomes at the primary care clinic of a New York City municipal hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  54 Spanish and Chinese-speaking language discordant diabetic patients were enrolled and followed for one year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Language discordant patients received either Remote Simultaneous Medical Interpreting (RSMI), or usual and customary (U&C) interpreting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Composite medical care scores were calculated for physician ordering and patient completion of diabetes care measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RSMI patients, compared with U&C patients, had trends towards higher mean patient completion (.29 vs .25) and physician ordering (.41 vs .37) scores. Overall rates of completion of diabetes care measures in both groups were very low.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall rates of physician ordering and patient completion of diabetes care measures were distressingly low in our study. Further studies are needed to explore the potential role of RSMI in addressing the language barrier and improving diabetes care for Chinese- and Spanish-speaking patients.
authors.affiliation: New York University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Center for Immigrant Health, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gany
authors.forename: Jennifer C F
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: Ginger
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Winston
authors.forename: Chi-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Angie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Jyotsna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Changrani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014177:Translations; D055815:Young Adult