National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Australia.
Northern Health, Epping, Australia.
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019 Apr 9;7(4):e11316. doi: 10.2196/11316.
Currently, over 300 languages are spoken in Australian homes. People without proficient English from non-English speaking countries may not receive equitable care if their health care workers do not speak their primary language. Use of professional interpreters is considered the gold standard; however, for a variety of reasons, it is often limited to key aspects of care such as diagnosis and consent. With the emergence of mobile technologies, health care workers are increasingly using digital translation tools to fill this gap. However, many of these technologies have not been developed for health care settings and their use has not been evaluated.
This study aimed to evaluate iPad-compatible language translation apps to determine their suitability for enabling everyday conversations in health care settings.
Translation apps were identified by searching the Apple iTunes Store and published and grey literature. Criteria for inclusion were that the apps were available at no cost, able to translate at least one of the top 10 languages spoken in Australia, and available for use on iPad. Apps that met inclusion criteria were reviewed in 2 stages. Stage 1 was the feature analysis conducted by 2 independent researchers, where apps were evaluated for offline use, input and output methods, and number of languages. Stage 2 was the analysis of suitability for everyday communication in the health care setting, conducted by 2 independent professionals with expertise in translation and cross-cultural communication. Apps that enabled key aspects of care normally within the realm of professional interpreters, such as assessment, treatment and discharge planning, and seeking consent for medical treatments, were considered unsuitable.
In total, 15 apps were evaluated. Of these, 8 apps contained voice-to-voice and voice-to-text translation options. In addition, 6 apps were restricted to using preset health phrases, whereas 1 app used a combination of free input and preset phrases. However, 5 apps were excluded before stage 2. In addition, 6 of the 10 remaining apps reviewed in stage 2 were specifically designed for health care translation purposes. Of these, 2 apps were rated as suitable for everyday communication in the health care setting-culturally and linguistically diverse Assist and Talk To Me. Both apps contained simple and appropriate preset health phrases and did not contain conversations that are normally within the realm of professional interpreters.
All iPad-compatible translation apps require a degree of caution and consideration when used in health care settings, and none should replace professional interpreters. However, some apps may be suitable for everyday conversations, such as those that enable preset phrases to be translated on subject matters that do not require a professional interpreter. Further research into the use of translation technology for these types of conversations is needed.
目前，澳大利亚家庭使用的语言超过 300 种。如果医护人员不会说患者的母语，那么来自非英语国家、英语水平不高的患者可能无法获得公平的护理。使用专业翻译人员被认为是黄金标准；然而，由于各种原因，翻译人员通常只限于在诊断和同意等关键方面提供服务。随着移动技术的出现，医护人员越来越多地使用数字翻译工具来填补这一空白。然而，许多此类技术并非专为医疗环境而开发，其使用情况也未经评估。
本研究旨在评估适用于 iPad 的语言翻译应用程序，以确定其在医疗环境中进行日常对话的适用性。
通过搜索 Apple iTunes 商店和已发表及灰色文献来确定翻译应用程序。纳入标准为应用程序免费使用、能够翻译澳大利亚使用最多的 10 种语言中的至少一种，并且适用于 iPad 使用。符合纳入标准的应用程序经过 2 个阶段的审查。第 1 阶段是由 2 位独立研究人员进行的功能分析，评估应用程序是否可以离线使用、输入和输出方法以及语言数量。第 2 阶段是由 2 位具有翻译和跨文化交流专业知识的专业人员进行的对医疗环境中日常交流的适用性分析。那些能够实现专业翻译人员通常负责的关键护理方面的应用程序，如评估、治疗和出院计划以及寻求医疗治疗同意，被认为是不适用的。
共评估了 15 个应用程序。其中，8 个应用程序包含语音到语音和语音到文本翻译选项。此外，6 个应用程序仅限于使用预设的健康短语，而 1 个应用程序则同时使用自由输入和预设短语。然而，在第 2 阶段之前，有 5 个应用程序被排除在外。此外，在第 2 阶段评估的 10 个剩余应用程序中，有 6 个是专门为医疗翻译目的而设计的。其中，2 个应用程序被评为在医疗保健环境中适合日常交流的应用程序，分别是具有文化和语言多样性的 Assist 和 Talk To Me。这两个应用程序都包含简单且合适的预设健康短语，且不包含通常由专业翻译人员负责的对话。
在医疗环境中使用所有适用于 iPad 的翻译应用程序都需要一定程度的谨慎和考虑，且任何应用程序都不能替代专业翻译人员。但是，某些应用程序可能适用于日常对话，例如那些能够翻译不涉及专业翻译人员的主题的预设短语的应用程序。需要进一步研究翻译技术在这些类型对话中的使用。
