Developing interprofessional collaboration between clinicians, interpreters, and translators in healthcare settings: outcomes from face-to-face training

ABSTRACT

Interprofessional collaboration between clinicians, interpreters, and translators is crucial to providing care for consumers with limited English proficiency. Interprofessional training for these professions has been overlooked outside of the medical field. This study investigated whether face-to-face training for speech pathologists, interpreters, and translators improved their knowledge, confidence, practice, and attitudes to engage in interprofessional collaboration. It also examined whether single-profession training for speech pathologists can produce similar training outcomes when delivered to multiple healthcare professions. Thirty interpreters and translators (30 training), 49 speech pathologists (27 training, 22 control), and a mixed group of 24 clinicians from eight professions (16 training, 8 control) completed surveys before, after, and two months after their respective training event. Training outcomes were similar across cohorts. Knowledge and confidence improved and were maintained after two months. Attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration were positive despite perceptions of challenge, and this was largely unchanged after training. Intent to implement optimal practices after training was greater than self-reported practices two months later. While years of professional experience did not affect training outcomes for clinicians, knowledge improvement for interpreters was associated with having less professional experience. Findings highlight the need to reevaluate service planning, policy, and workforce development strategies alongside foundation level training to deliver effective interprofessional education for clinicians, interpreters, and translators in healthcare settings.

KEYWORDS:

• Speech pathology
• interpreter
• translator
• interprofessional training
• health
• clinician

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Children’s Health Queensland Study Education and Research Trust Account [Education Grant Round 4].

Notes on contributors

Claire Xiaochi Zhang

Claire Zhang is a speech pathologist who previously worked at Children's Health Queensland whilst conducting this research. She currently works in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.

Emma Crawford

Dr Emma Crawford is a lecturer in Occupational Therapy at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, The University of Queensland.

Jeanne Marshall

Dr Jeanne Marshall is a speech pathologist and Clinical Research Coordinator at Children's Health Queensland.

Anne Bernard

Dr Anne Bernard is the Head of Biostatistics at QFAB Bioinformatics, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland.

Katie Walker-Smith

Katie Walker-Smith is the Director of Speech Pathology at Children’s Health Queensland.