The Use of a Mobile Application to Increase Access to Interpreters for Cancer Patients With Limited English Proficiency A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Language barriers can influence the quality of health care and health outcomes of limited English proficient patients with cancer. The use of medical interpretation services can be a valuable asset for improving communications in emergency care settings. Objective: To evaluate whether a mobile translation application increased call frequency to interpreter services among providers in an Urgent Care Center at a comprehensive cancer center and to assess provider satisfaction of the mobile application. Research Design: Prospective pre-post nonrandomized intervention of a mobile translation application with access to an over the phone interpreter (OPI) service at the push of a button and poststudy satisfaction survey. Subjects: Sixty-five clinicians working at the Urgent Care Center in a cancer center in New York City. Measures: Mean call frequency to OPI services, tested by the nonparametric Wilcoxon Mann Whitney test, and self-reported provider satisfaction descriptives. Results: The mobile application contributed to increasing the frequency of phone calls to OPI services during the intervention period (mean=12.8; P=0.001) as compared with the preintervention period (mean=4.3), and showed continued use during the postintervention period (mean=5.7). Most clinicians were satisfied with the use of the mobile application and access to the OPI services. Conclusions: The results suggest that mobile application tools contribute to increasing the use and ease of access to language services. This has the potential to improve the quality of communication between medical providers and limited English proficient patients in the delivery of cancer care in urgent care settings.