229372 SpeechLinks: Developing new technology to reduce social inequities in medical interpretation for Latino limited English proficiency (LEP) patients and their families

Monday, November 8, 2010

Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, PhD, MPH , Institute for Prevention Research, Dept. of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Alhambra, CA
Margaret McLaughlin, PhD , Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA
Win May, PhD , Keck School of Medicine, Educational Affairs, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA
Georgiou Panayiotis, PhD , Viterbi School of Engineering, Signal & Image Processing, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA
Shrikanth Narayanan, PhD , Viterbi School of Engineering, Signal & Image Processing, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA
Purpose: Numerous studies have documented inequities in delivery of health care to Latinos with limited English proficiency. Advances in technology, using automatic two-way speech translation offer new possibilities for cost-effective, targeted interpretation solutions for improved communication with monolingual Spanish speaking/limited English proficiency patients and their families. Methods: The National Science Foundation funded a transdisciplinary team of experts from engineering, communication, preventive medicine and public health, and medical education to develop and evaluate the use, effectiveness and cultural appropriateness of SpeechLinks, a technology-based cross-lingual communication tool. Data was compiled from 50 sessions of clinical encounters among triads of English speaking physicians, Spanish language standardized patients and bilingual Spanish/English interpreters. These data will be used in two ways: First, to develop the core SpeechLinks technologies including capturing the relevant dialectal and Spanish language information for the target interaction scenarios, and developing tools for easy end-user customization and updating; second, to assist and inform SpeechLinks to understand the most useful functionalities and form. Results: Findings reveal the importance of incorporating information on culturally bound syndromes, variations in the meaning of specific Spanish words, and factors impacting the communication of emotion in the medical environment. SpeechLinks has the potential to help bridge the language gap so that health care access and delivery to Latinos is not compromised by sociolinguistic barriers. However, technology is challenged in conveying variations in language and the cultural-emotional content in a caring doctor/patient relationship within a Latino context. Incorporation of these findings is the goal of our next design iteration.

Learning Areas:
Communication and informatics
Diversity and culture
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
To learn about an innovative solution to alleviate inequities via the development of a culturally intelligent tool, SpeechLinks, that promises to close the language gap in medical interactions among English speaking physicians and monolingual Spanish speaking patients and their families. To learn about the cultural challenges faced in the development and implementation of this tool to improve the medical encounter among physicians, interpreters and low English proficient, Spanish language patients and assist in informing how the tool could be further improved.

Keywords: Information Technology, Latinos

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present this abstract as it relates to the role of culture in technology, specifically in the development and testing of a culturally intelligent tool to bridge the gap in language translations among monolingual Spanish speaking patients and monolingual English speaking providers. I have devoted over 20 years of my public health career working on issues related to culture and communication of health information with Latino populations, as well as on improving the adequacy of materials and cultural competency in translations and interpretation within a public health context.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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