Staff felt patients appreciated the effort and it helped build rapport even when the app failed

Description #

Healthcare staff reported that even when a translation app did not work, patients appreciated the effort of using it and it helped build rapport; there were no reported adverse impacts on the patient relationship from a failed attempt.

"However, healthcare staff indicated that despite not always working, they felt that the effort was appreciated by their patients and that it often helped to build rapport." (Panayiotou, 2020, p. 3521)

"Yet, despite experiences where the app did not work, there were no reported adverse impacts on rapport." (Panayiotou, 2020, p. 3523)

Methods Context #

What? #ⓘ

The observable: staff-perceived effect of attempting to use a translation app on patient rapport, including when the technology failed.

"What role do you see technology playing in communicating everyday healthcare conversations between older people from CALD backgrounds and their healthcare workers?" (Panayiotou, 2020, p. 3518)

How? #ⓘ

Focus group discussion of staff experiences with translation technology, analysed by inductive content analysis.

"Two research members (A.P and K.H) who attended the consultations analysed each response to determine meaning and generate codes." (Panayiotou, 2020, p. 3519)

Who? #ⓘ

Nursing and allied health staff (n = 17) working in sub-acute/aged care settings across three Melbourne metropolitan public health services.

"Seventeen healthcare staff from three Melbourne metropolitan public health services took part in the consultations." (Panayiotou, 2020, p. 3519)

Other Notes #

Qualitative relational finding; no associated figure/table (text-only). A benefit that persists even under app failure, distinct from successful translation.

Caveats #

• Small non-representative convenience sample from two migrant communities and sub-acute aged-care staff limits generalizability The perception findings come from a small convenience sample drawn from only two older migrant communities (Greek and Chinese, n = 12), recruited through ethno-specific organisations, plus nursing/allied-health staff (n = 17) working only in sub-acute aged-care settings. The authors note this limits generalisability to other migrant communities and other areas of health care, and that the small samples precluded evaluating differences between cultural groups or professions. Perceptions are therefore contextual to these groups and settings rather than broadly representative.