Healthcare staff reported already using translation apps on personal devices to overcome language barriers
Source
Panayiotou (2020). The perceptions of translation apps for everyday health care in healthcare workers and older people: A multi-method study. Journal of Clinical Nursing.
Description #
Some healthcare staff reported that they already used mobile translation apps with LEP patients in the workplace, on their own personal devices, to overcome communication barriers when an interpreter was not available. The most commonly used apps were Google Translate, TalkToMe and iTranslate.
"To overcome these barriers, some healthcare staff reported using translation apps with patients in the healthcare setting. The most commonly used apps were Google Translate™, TalkToMe and iTranslate, which healthcare workers reported using on their own personal devices." (Panayiotou, 2020, p. 3523)
"One participant described a positive experience of using the real-time voice-to-voice translation feature of Google Translate™ to communicate basic needs with a Spanish speaking patient who was unable to read" (Panayiotou, 2020, p. 3521)
Methods Context #
What? #ⓘ
The observable: healthcare workers' self-reported current use of mobile translation apps in the workplace to communicate with LEP patients.
"Have you ever used or experienced a healthcare worker using technology to translate information? Please provide some information about how this experience was for you." (Panayiotou, 2020, p. 3518)
How? #ⓘ
Focus group consultations at three hospital sites eliciting current practices and experiences with translation technology, analysed by inductive content analysis. Apps referenced include A-0016ArtifactA-0016Initial AI draftGoogle TranslateA free, general-purpose machine translation app increasingly used as an ad-hoc communication tool in healthcare settings to bridge language barriers with LEP patients, including via voice-to-voice translation. "One such…, A-0017ArtifactA-0017Initial AI draftTalk To Me translation appA mobile healthcare translation app used by ward staff to convey low-risk everyday care messages to older CALD patients with limited English proficiency in the absence of a professional interpreter. "Talk To Me was devel…, and A-0015ArtifactA-0015Initial AI draftiTranslate voice-enabled mobile language translation appTo help patients and health care providers communicate across a language barrier by instantly converting spoken or written input into another language, so that individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) can acces….
"The nursing and allied health staff consultations were conducted at three hospital sites to improve the likelihood of nursing and allied health staff attending from each site." (Panayiotou, 2020, p. 3518)
Who? #ⓘ
Seventeen nursing and allied health staff (82.4% nurses) from three Melbourne metropolitan public health services, over half with 11+ years in health care.
"Seventeen healthcare staff from three Melbourne metropolitan public health services took part in the consultations." (Panayiotou, 2020, p. 3519)
Other Notes #
Qualitative current-practice finding; no associated figure/table (text-only). Reflects the paper's "some staff already report using translation apps" contribution statement.