Gray Ben, Stanley James, Stubbe Maria, Hilder Jo
Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice, Otago University Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, PO Box 7343, Wellington South, New Zealand.
N Z Med J. 2011 Sep 9;124(1342):23-38.
To explore clinicians' perceptions of the communication difficulties experienced with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients and the clinical risks these difficulties pose in hospitals, as well as patterns of interpreter use among these clinicians.
Senior health professionals in the two District Health Boards (DHBs) in the Wellington Area (about 900) of New Zealand were sent an electronic survey. Twenty clinicians were interviewed about their experience in 22 consultations with LEP patients, and an equal number with English proficient patients. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and 95% confidence intervals and formal statistical tests.
141 responses were received to the survey. There was a high level of awareness of how to access interpreters (84%) and lesser awareness of DHB interpreter policy (65%). Most respondents felt that communication difficulties with LEP patients have a significant effect on care at least sometimes, but there is a wide variation in reported actual use of interpreters, with only 14% always using an interpreter. In the actual consultations studied, no professional interpreters were used despite clinician acknowledgement of increased clinical risk.
Even when clinicians are aware of policy, of how to obtain interpreters, and of the increased clinical risk in the situation, this does not necessarily lead to high levels of interpreter use with LEP patients.
探讨临床医生对英语水平有限（LEP）患者沟通困难的看法，以及这些困难在医院中带来的临床风险，同时了解这些临床医生使用口译员的模式。
向新西兰惠灵顿地区两个地区卫生委员会（DHBs）的高级卫生专业人员（约900人）发送了电子调查问卷。对20名临床医生进行了访谈，了解他们在与LEP患者进行的22次会诊中的经历，以及与英语熟练患者进行的同等数量会诊的经历。计算了描述性统计数据、95%置信区间和正式统计检验。
共收到141份调查问卷回复。对于如何联系口译员的知晓度较高（84%），而对DHB口译政策的知晓度较低（65%）。大多数受访者认为，与LEP患者的沟通困难至少有时会对护理产生重大影响，但报告的口译员实际使用情况差异很大，只有14%的人总是使用口译员。在所研究的实际会诊中，尽管临床医生承认临床风险增加，但并未使用专业口译员。
即使临床医生了解政策、知道如何获得口译员以及意识到这种情况下临床风险增加，这并不一定会导致在与LEP患者会诊时大量使用口译员。
