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Preoperative consent for patients with limited English proficiency.

ABSTRACT: Informed consent is important for limited English proficient (LEP) patients undergoing surgery, as many surgical procedures are complicated, making patient comprehension difficult even without language barriers. The study objectives were to (1) understand surgeons' preoperative consenting process with LEP patients, (2) examine how surgeons self assess their non-English language proficiency levels using a standardized scale, and (3) identify the relationship between self assessed non-English language proficiency and surgeons' self-reported use of interpreters during preoperative informed consent.A thirty-two item survey assessing surgeons' reported preoperative informed consent process, with questions related to demographics, level of medical training, non-English language skills and their clinical use, language learning experiences, and hypothetical scenarios with LEP patients.Surgeons who were not fluent in non-English languages reported they often used those limited skills to obtain informed consent from their LEP patients. Many surgeons reported relying on bilingual hospital staff members, family members, and/or minors to serve as ad-hoc interpreters when obtaining informed consent. If a professional interpreter was not available in a timely manner, surgeons more frequently reported using ad-hoc interpreters or their own nonfluent language skills. Surgeons reported deferring to patient and family preferences when deciding whether to use professional interpreters and applied different thresholds for different clinical scenarios when deciding whether to use professional interpreters.Surgeons reported relying on their own non-English language skills, bilingual staff, and family and friends of patients to obtain informed consent from LEP patients, suggesting that further understanding of barriers to professional interpreter use is needed.

SUBMITTER: Patel DN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4691361 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Preoperative consent for patients with limited English proficiency.

Patel Darshan N DN Wakeam Elliot E Genoff Margaux M Mujawar Imran I Ashley Stanley W SW Diamond Lisa C LC

The Journal of surgical research 20151003 2

<h4>Background</h4>Informed consent is important for limited English proficient (LEP) patients undergoing surgery, as many surgical procedures are complicated, making patient comprehension difficult even without language barriers. The study objectives were to (1) understand surgeons' preoperative consenting process with LEP patients, (2) examine how surgeons self assess their non-English language proficiency levels using a standardized scale, and (3) identify the relationship between self assess ...[more]

PMID: 26541685

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Language barriers disrupt communication and impede informed consent for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) undergoing healthcare procedures. Effective interventions for this disparity remain unclear. OBJECTIVE:Assess the impact of a bedside interpreter phone system intervention on informed consent for patients with LEP and compare outcomes to those of English speakers. DESIGN:Prospective, pre-post intervention implementation study using propensity analysis. SUBJECTS:Hospitalized patients undergoing invasive procedures on the cardiovascular, general surgery or orthopedic surgery floors. INTERVENTION:Installation of dual-handset interpreter phones at every bedside enabling 24-h immediate access to professional interpreters. MAIN MEASURES:Primary predictor: pre- vs. post-implementation group; secondary predictor: post-implementation patients with LEP vs. English speakers. Primary outcomes: three central informed consent elements, patient-reported understanding of the (1) reasons for and (2) risks of the procedure and (3) having had all questions answered. We considered consent adequately informed when all three elements were met. KEY RESULTS:We enrolled 152 Chinese- and Spanish-speaking patients with LEP (84 pre- and 68 post-implementation) and 86 English speakers. Post-implementation (vs. pre-implementation) patients with LEP were more likely to meet criteria for adequately informed consent (54% vs. 29%, p?=?0.001) and, after propensity score adjustment, had significantly higher odds of adequately informed consent (AOR 2.56; 95% CI, 1.15-5.72) as well as of each consent element individually. However, compared to post-implementation English speakers, post-implementation patients with LEP had significantly lower adjusted odds of adequately informed consent (AOR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.16-0.91). CONCLUSIONS:A bedside interpreter phone system intervention to increase rapid access to professional interpreters was associated with improvements in patient-reported informed consent and should be considered by hospitals seeking to improve care for patients with LEP; however, these improvements did not eliminate the language-based disparity. Additional clinician educational interventions and more language-concordant care may be necessary for informed consent to equal that for English speakers.

Project description:BackgroundLimited English proficiency (LEP) is associated with poor health status and worse outcomes.ObjectiveTo examine disparities in hypertension between National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) respondents with LEP versus adequate English proficiency.DesignRetrospective analysis of multi-year survey data.ParticipantsAdults 18 years of age and older who participated in the NHANES survey during the period 2003-2012.Main measuresWe defined participants with LEP as anyone who completed the NHANES survey in a language other than English or with the support of an interpreter. Using logistic regression, we estimated the odds ratio for undiagnosed or uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure (SBP) > 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) > 90 mmHg) among LEP participants relative to those with adequate English proficiency. We adjusted for sociodemographic, acculturation-related, and hypertension-related variables.Key resultsFourteen percent (n = 3,269) of the participants had limited English proficiency: 12.4% (n = 2906) used a Spanish questionnaire and 1.6% (n = 363) used an interpreter to complete the survey in another language. Those with LEP had higher odds of elevated blood pressure on physical examination (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.47 [1.07-2.03]). This finding persisted among participants using an interpreter (AOR = 1.88 [1.15-3.06]) but not among those using the Spanish questionnaire (AOR = 1.32 [0.98-1.80]). In a subgroup analysis, we found that the majority of uncontrolled hypertension was concentrated among individuals with a known diagnosis of hypertension (AOR = 1.80 [1.16-2.81]) rather than those with undiagnosed hypertension (AOR = 1.14 [0.74-1.75]). Interpreter use was associated with increased odds of uncontrolled hypertension, especially among patients who were not being medically managed for hypertension (AOR = 6.56 [1.30-33.12]).ConclusionsIn a nationally representative sample, participants with LEP were more likely to have poorly controlled hypertension than those with adequate English proficiency. LEP is an important driver of disparities in hypertension management and outcomes.

Project description:BackgroundThere are approximately 25.6 million individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) in the USA, and this number is increasing.ObjectiveInvestigate associations between LEP and access to care in adults.DesignCross-sectional nationally representative survey.ParticipantsAdults with (n = 18,908) and without (n = 98,060) LEP aged ≥ 18 years identified from the 2014-2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey MAIN MEASURES: Associations between LEP and access to healthcare and preventive services were evaluated with multivariable logistic regression models, stratified by age group (18-64 and ≥ 65 years). The official government definition of LEP (answers "not at all/not well/well" to the question "How well do you speak English?") was used. Access to care included having a usual source of care (and if so, distance from usual source of care, difficulty contacting usual source of care, and provision of extended hours), visiting a medical provider in the past 12 months, having to forego or delay care, and having trouble paying for medical bills. Preventive services included blood pressure and cholesterol check, flu vaccination, and cancer screening.Key resultsAdults aged 18-64 years with LEP were significantly more likely to lack a usual source of care (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] = 2.48; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.27-2.70), not have visited a medical provider (aOR = 2.02; CI = 1.89-2.16), and to be overdue for receipt of preventive services, including blood pressure check (aOR = 2.00; CI = 1.79-2.23), cholesterol check (aOR = 1.22; CI = 1.03-1.44), and colorectal cancer screening (aOR = 1.58; CI = 1.37-1.83) than adults without LEP. Results were similar among adults aged ≥ 65 years.ConclusionsAdults with LEP had consistently worse access to care than adults without LEP. System-level interventions, such as expanding access to health insurance coverage, providing language services, improving provider training in cultural competence, and increasing diversity in the medical workforce may minimize barriers and improve equity in access to care.

Project description:BackgroundPatient awareness of CKD and primary care provider (PCP) recognition of CKD are lower than for other chronic conditions. Understanding how patients may become aware of CKD is critical to their participation in healthy behaviors to slow CKD progression. We examined factors associated with the concordance of CKD awareness among patients and providers and hypothesized that concordance of CKD awareness would be influenced by social and demographic factors that impact communication, such as limited English proficiency (LEP) and health literacy.MethodsBetween July 2011 to July 2014, patients with CKD from three primary care clinics in a public healthcare delivery system were surveyed with questions regarding their health, including awareness of their CKD status. Chart review was performed to identify PCP recognition of CKD, defined as CKD listed anywhere in the problem list within nine months before patient enrollment into the study. We used logistic regression to determine the association between provider recognition and patient awareness of kidney disease among those patients with CKD, adjusting for patient demographics, co-morbidities, and provider training.ResultsThe study population (n = 152) had a mean age of 57.4 (SD 13), was 48.7% male and was racially/ethnically and linguistically diverse: 89.5% self-identified as Black, Hispanic, or Asian and 32.2% had LEP. Most patients had hypertension (89.5%) and diabetes (77.6%); mean eGFR was 66.1 ml/min/1.73m2 (SD 32.8). Positive concordance of CKD awareness was 42% (n = 64). Odds of positive concordance with their providers were much higher among patients with LEP compared to English speaking patients (adjusted odds ratio = 11.07, 95%CI 1.60-76.39).ConclusionsConcordance of CKD awareness among PCPs and their patients with CKD in one public delivery system was higher among patients with LEP. While speculative, this may be due to greater caution in provider communication about CKD with LEP patients.

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Preoperative consent for patients with limited English proficiency.

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Preoperative consent for patients with limited English proficiency.

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