Jakobsson Melissa, Ventovaara Helena, Jungner Johanna Granhagen, Broström Eva, Tiselius Elisabet, Pergert Pernilla
Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Department of Swedish Language and Multilingualism, Institute for interpreting and translation studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
PEC Innov. 2025 Apr 30;6:100395. doi: 10.1016/j.pecinn.2025.100395. eCollection 2025 Jun.
The study investigated how healthcare personnel communicate with families when experiencing language barriers, and the use of interpreters in Nordic paediatric oncology care.
A cross-sectional multicentre survey study with registered nurses (RNs) and medical doctors (MDs) at 20 Nordic paediatric oncology centres. The "Communication over Language Barriers questionnaire" (CoLB-q) was used in the respective Nordic languages. Descriptive analysis and non-parametric tests were used to summarize and compare data.
A total of 489 RNs and MDs completed the survey (response rate of 55 %). Although most respondents reported often or sometimes caring for families with limited proficiency in the country's majority languages, only 20 % had received education in how to use an interpreter. When communicating without an interpreter both professions had used relatives and children as language brokers to some extent. Most respondents assessed that the use of interpreters increased families' participation and improved their care relationships with the families. MDs used interpreters more often than RNs, who in turn used children as language brokers more frequently than the MDs did.
Although most respondents believed that a professional interpreter increases patients' and families' participation and safety in care, children were used as language brokers by both professions. Few had received education or training on how to use an interpreter despite that most participants often met families with limited proficiency in the country's majority language.
This study highlights a critical gap and underscores the necessity for healthcare personnel to receive education and training on utilizing professional interpreter resources.
本研究调查了医疗保健人员在遇到语言障碍时如何与家属沟通，以及北欧儿科肿瘤护理中口译员的使用情况。
对20个北欧儿科肿瘤中心的注册护士（RN）和医生（MD）进行横断面多中心调查研究。使用各自北欧语言的“语言障碍沟通问卷”（CoLB-q）。采用描述性分析和非参数检验来汇总和比较数据。
共有489名注册护士和医生完成了调查（回复率为55%）。尽管大多数受访者报告经常或有时照顾母语水平有限的家庭，但只有20%的人接受过如何使用口译员的培训。在没有口译员的情况下进行沟通时，两个职业都在一定程度上使用亲属和儿童作为语言中介。大多数受访者认为使用口译员增加了家庭的参与度，并改善了他们与家庭的护理关系。医生比注册护士更频繁地使用口译员，而注册护士反过来比医生更频繁地使用儿童作为语言中介。
尽管大多数受访者认为专业口译员能提高患者和家庭在护理中的参与度和安全性，但两个职业都使用儿童作为语言中介。尽管大多数参与者经常遇到母语水平有限的家庭，但很少有人接受过关于如何使用口译员的教育或培训。
本研究突出了一个关键差距，并强调了医疗保健人员接受关于利用专业口译员资源的教育和培训的必要性。
