Using professional interpreters in undergraduate medical consultation skills teaching

Abstract

The ability to work with interpreters is a core skill for UK medical graduates. At the University of Sheffield Medical School, this teaching was identified as a gap in the curriculum. Teaching was developed to use professional interpreters in role-play, based on evidence that professional interpreters improve health outcomes for patients with limited English proficiency. Other principles guiding the development of the teaching were an experiential learning format, integration to the core consultation skills curriculum, and sustainable delivery. The session was aligned with existing consultation skills teaching to retain the small-group experiential format and general practitioner (GP) tutor. Core curricular time was found through conversion of an existing consultation skills session. Language pairs of professional interpreters worked with each small group, with one playing patient and the other playing interpreter. These professional interpreters attended training in the scenarios so that they could learn to act as patient and family interpreter. GP tutors attended training sessions to help them facilitate the session. This enhanced the sustainability of the session by providing a cohort of tutors able to pass on their expertise to new staff through the existing shadowing process. Tutors felt that the involvement of professional interpreters improved student engagement. Student evaluation of the teaching suggests that the learning objectives were achieved. Faculty evaluation by GP tutors suggests that they perceived the teaching to be worthwhile and that the training they received had helped improve their own clinical practice in consulting through interpreters. We offer the following recommendations to others who may be interested in developing teaching on interpreted consultations within their core curriculum: 1) consider recruiting professional interpreters as a teaching resource; 2) align the teaching to existing consultation skills sessions to aid integration; and 3) invest in faculty development for successful and sustainable delivery.

Video abstract

Point your SmartPhone at the code above. If you have a QR code reader the video abstract will appear. Or use:

http://dvpr.es/1u4IdJZ

Keywords:

• interpreter
• communication skills
• curriculum

Supplementary material

Consulting through interpreters: student evaluation form

We would like to continue developing this educational session and very much appreciate your feedback. Your results will be kept safe and confidential.

Before this training session, how confident were you in consulting through an interpreter? (please circle)

Table

How useful do you think are the following characteristics in a good interpreter?

Table

How useful do you think are the following when consulting through an interpreter?

Table

Would you recommend this training to your peers?

Y/N (please circle)

After this training session, how confident are you in consulting through an interpreter? (please circle)

Table

Please comment on the factors that have influenced your response to the previous question.

Any other comments/suggestions?

Additional results of student questionnaire referred to in article

How useful do you think are the following characteristics in a good interpreter?

Table

How useful do you think are the following when consulting through an interpreter?

Table

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the teaching team at the Academic Unit of Primary Medical Care, University of Sheffield, who supported this initiative, the GP tutors for their enthusiasm, and all the interpreters who took part in this teaching.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest.