Interpreter training for medical students: pilot implementation and assessment in a student-run clinic.
BACKGROUND
Trained medical interpreters are instrumental to patient satisfaction and quality of care. They are especially important in student-run clinics, where many patients have limited English proficiency. Because student-run clinics have ties to their medical schools, they have access to bilingual students who may volunteer to interpret, but are not necessarily formally trained.


METHODS
To study the feasibility and efficacy of leveraging medical student volunteers to improve interpretation services, we performed a pilot study at the student-run clinic at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In each fall semester in 2012-2015, we implemented a 6-h course providing didactic and interactive training on medical Spanish interpreting techniques and language skills to bilingual students. We then assessed the impact of the course on interpreter abilities.


RESULTS
Participants' comfort levels, understanding of their roles, and understanding of terminology significantly increased after the course (p < 0.05), and these gains remained several months later (p < 0.05) and were repeated in an independent cohort. Patients and student clinicians also rated participants highly (averages above 4.5 out of 5) on these measures in real clinical encounters.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that a formal interpreter training course tailored for medical students in the setting of a student-run clinic is feasible and effective. This program for training qualified student interpreters can serve as a model for other settings where medical students serve as interpreters.
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. jennifer.long@icahn.mssm.edu.
Jennifer E L
JE
Diaz
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Nydia
N
Ekasumara
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Nikhil R
NR
Menon
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Edwin
E
Homan
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Prashanth
P
Rajarajan
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Andrés Ramírez
AR
Zamudio
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Annie J
AJ
Kim
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Jason
J
Gruener
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Edward
E
Poliandro
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
David C
DC
Thomas
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Yasmin S
YS
Meah
Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Rainier P
RP
Soriano
Communication skills; Community-oriented; Ethics/attitudes; Medical education research; Medicine
Med Care. 2004 Jan;42(1):71-80
14713741
J Gen Intern Med. 1997 Aug;12(8):472-7
9276652
N Z Med J. 2008 Sep 22;121(1282):15-28
18815600
Acad Med. 2004 Feb;79(2):118-22
14744710
J Gen Intern Med. 2007 Nov;22 Suppl 2:331-5
17957420
Am J Public Health. 2008 Nov;98(11):2021-8
18799780
Health Serv Res. 2007 Apr;42(2):727-54
17362215
J Gen Intern Med. 1999 Sep;14(9):547-50
10491243
Am J Public Health. 2004 May;94(5):866-9
15117713
Ann Emerg Med. 2012 Nov;60(5):545-53
22424655
Health Commun. 2006;20(2):177-86
16965255
Pediatrics. 2010 Mar;125(3):e631-8
20176670
J Gen Intern Med. 2001 Jul;16(7):468-74
11520385
Mt Sinai J Med. 2009 Aug;76(4):344-56
19642148
J Gen Intern Med. 1999 Feb;14(2):82-7
10051778
J Gen Intern Med. 2010 Apr;25(4):345-50
20107916
Acad Med. 2009 Jun;84(6):782-7
19474560
J Gen Intern Med. 2007 Mar;22(3):352-6
17356967