Assessing needs for linguistic interpretation in hospital settings: A retrospective analysis of ad hoc interpreter requests.

Background: In Canada, healthcare professionals often rely on ad hoc interpreters, who are untrained volunteers recruited via intercom hospital announcements to interpret for patients with language barriers. This study analyzed the frequency of ad hoc interpreter requests via intercom announcements to estimate hospital interpretation needs. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis from intercom requests for medical interpretation collected from five hospitals of the McGill University Health Center. Requests included date, time, language requested, hospital location, and extension for who placed the request. Results: A total of 1265 intercom requests were placed for 48 languages, with the top five languages being Mandarin (17.8%), Punjabi (10.1%), Inuktitut (9.8%), Arabic (7.3%), and Cantonese (6.4%). Almost 69.8% of requests were made during working hours, 13.2% on workday evenings, and 14.8% on weekends. Requests came from urgent care (42.3%), outpatient (29.5%), and inpatient (23.3%) settings. Conclusion: This is the first published study that measures interpretation needs via intercom requests. We propose that our method can be replicated to inform implementation of professional medical interpretation services. We conclude that linguistic interpretation needs are significant in the Montreal area, and likely in Canada in general and pose a barrier to effective medical care.

Utility of mobile technology in medical interpretation: A literature review of current practices.

OBJECTIVES: Language barriers limit healthcare access. However, professional interpretation usage is infrequent due to high cost and poor interpreter availability. Healthcare-oriented mobile applications are becoming more accepted and may help alleviate this burden. This literature review aims to better understand the utility of mobile technology in healthcare interpretation. Specifically, the objective of this review is to synthesize the feasibility, outcome, and challenges of implementing technological medical interpretation services. PATIENT INVOLVEMENT: No patients were involved for this review. METHODS: In December 2019, MEDLINE (Ovid) was systematically searched according to PRISMA guidelines. All articles discussing the utility of technology in healthcare interpretation encounters were included. RESULTS: Two major themes emerged: 1) comparing video and phone interpretation with in-person interpretation and 2) assessing direct translation software in healthcare settings. Phone and video interpretation help reduce overall patient wait-times. Both patients and clinicians preferred in-person or video interpretation over interpretation by phone. Chief benefits of using direct translation software include immediate access, low costs, and sustainability. Several studies discussed potential translation inaccuracies and the importance of having professional interpreters in medico-legal discussions. CONCLUSION: Mobile applications may be used to facilitate access to medical interpreters with high clinician and patient satisfaction. Direct in-app translations facilitate access but risk inaccuracies with important medico-legal considerations. PRACTICAL VALUE: Mobile applications are available at low costs and can improve access to interpreters though video and phone calls. Mobile software can also provide direct translation and facilitate clinical care. Clinicians should prioritize face-to-face encounters with professional medical interpreters, whenever possible. In a time of social distancing amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is crucial value in elucidating the best telehealth interpretation practices.

Feasibility of coronary CT angiography for guidance of CABG.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical safety and effectiveness of coronary revascularization in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) based exclusively on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) results. METHODS: 53 patients (62.3 ± 7.1 years) underwent CCTA before a CABG surgery without prior invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Primary endpoints were all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). The secondary endpoint was quality of life (QoL) assessed with the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). All were collected one year after the surgery. RESULTS: CCTA revealed multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) in 52 patients. Indication for bypass surgery was made exclusively based on CCTA results. 136 distal anastomoses were performed. Assessment at 1 year (13.3 ± 1.4 months) was completed in 98.1% of the patients. MACE and mortality rates were 0%. The MLHFQ total score was 21.8 ± 8.7, and active lifestyle was maintained in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this proof of concept prospective pilot study, we observed that non-invasive coronary angiography may provide adequate anatomic detail to guide CABG surgery. Further study of this concept is warranted.

DRD4 exon 3 genotype and ADHD: Randomised pharmacodynamic investigation of treatment response to methylphenidate.

Objectives: Dopamine plays an important role in modulating attention and motor behaviours, dimensions altered in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Numerous association studies have linked dopamine receptor 4 (DRD4) to increased risk of ADHD. This study investigated the effect of DRD4 exon 3 polymorphism on child behaviours in response to treatment with methylphenidate. Methods: A total of 374 children diagnosed with ADHD (ages 6-12 years) were evaluated under three experimental conditions: baseline, placebo and MPH (0.5 mg/kg/day). This was a 2-week prospective within-subject, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. The Conners' Global Index for parents and for teachers was used to evaluate the behaviours of the children. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to test the effect of the interaction between DRD4 genotype and experimental conditions. Results: A significant interaction between DRD4 genotype and treatment was detected when the child's behaviour was evaluated by the parents (P = 0.035, effect size of 0.014), driven by a better treatment response in children homozygous for long 7-repeat allele. Conclusions: According to the parent assessment, children homozygous for the long 7-repeat allele were more responsive to experimental condition. This is the largest pharmacogenetic investigation of the effect of DRD4 exon 3 polymorphism in childhood ADHD. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT00483106.