Comparing Remote Interpreter Modalities in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Professional interpretation improves quality of care for patients with limited English
proficiency (LEP). However, many health care settings lack access to professional
interpreters, and even in locations with good access, logistical factors and perceived
barriers have limited their widespread use. Remote methods of professional interpretation,
including telephone and video, hold great promise for expanding access, but only limited
data exist on the relative impacts of these modalities on patient care and provider uptake.
Comparing how these modalities impact multiple aspects of health care quality, including
family comprehension, provider communication, and consistency of provider interpreter use
will inform dissemination of strategies for delivery of safe, efficient, and equitable care
to LEP families.

Aim 1: To determine whether randomly assigned remote interpreter modality (telephone versus
video) impacts parent-reported quality of communication and interpretation, diagnosis
comprehension, and length of stay (LOS) among LEP Spanish-speaking families seen in a
pediatric Emergency Department (ED).

Hypothesis 1: Parent-reported quality of communication and interpretation and parent
diagnosis comprehension will be higher among families assigned to video interpretation
compared to telephone interpretation.

Hypothesis 2: LOS will not differ between families assigned to video and telephone
interpretation.

Aim 2: To determine whether assigned interpreter modality is associated with provider
decision to communicate without professional interpretation.

Hypothesis 3: Parent-reported provider communication without professional interpretation
(e.g. using the patient or a family member to interpret for some part of the visit) will be
lower for families assigned to video interpretation compared to telephone interpretation.