Involvement of Professional Interpreters in Care Delivery Process

Stakeholder Education Plan The Hispanic population is one of the largest populations in the United States with more than 50 million people. Elderly Hispanic residents and Mexican Americans who are predisposed to various health conditions including diabetes account for a significant portion of this Hispanic population in the United States. One of the major issues facing elderly Hispanic patients aged 50-75 years when seeking for healthcare services is communication problems since they are not proficient in English.

This project seeks to examine whether the use of professional interpreters enhance medication adherence as compared to using family members as interpreters. The implementation of this project requires the involvement of various stakeholders who control resources and are necessary in the implementation process. The administrative stakeholders required for implementation of this project is the hospital management while the clinical stakeholders include healthcare providers, nurses, patients, and professional interpreter. The necessary financial stakeholders include the healthcare provider and governmental or non-governmental healthcare agencies.

Theoretical Foundation and Conceptual Framework The main goal of this proposed project is to promote the use of professional interpreters in the healthcare setting to help improve patient-provider communication and medication adherence among elderly Hispanic patients aged 50-75 years. Since these patients are Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients, they face language barriers when seeking for healthcare services for their diverse conditions. Language barriers in turn contribute to health disparities for such patients and affect their understanding and adherence to medication and treatment approaches (Karliner, Jacobs, Chen & Mutha, 2007).

According to de Moissac & Bowen (2017), language barriers generate the need for using third parties to facilitate communication between LEP patients and healthcare providers. The theoretical foundation for this project is that encounters in the healthcare setting comprise interactions between the individual patient, his/her family, and healthcare staff. These encounters incorporate integration of individual experiences, cultural norms, and cultural beliefs (Hadziabdic, 2011). Since encounters play an important role in the healthcare process, communication is the core of caring.

The result of the healthcare process is partly influenced by the ability to communicate, which implies that language is important. Therefore, this project is supported by Transcultural Nursing Theory, which postulates that effective healthcare involves knowing and understanding the various cultural norms and beliefs relating to the individual patient (Wayne, 2014). Given the nature of the modern healthcare environment, healthcare providers need to provide transcultural care, which is an individual-centered care approach that is culturally unique and based on effective communication.

The conceptual framework for this proposed project is as shown in Figure 1 below. Figure 1: Conceptual Framework for the Project Professional Interpreter Healthcare Provider/Staff Individual Patient Family Implementation of Change As previously indicated, the proposed practice in this project is the use of professional or bilingual interpreters during provider visits among elderly Hispanic patients aged 50-75 years. The implementation of this proposed practice requires the involvement of the hospital’s management, healthcare staff, and relevant healthcare agencies.

The hospital management will help in creating a suitable healthcare environment for the involvement of the professional interpreters in the healthcare delivery process. The management will also provide necessary non-financial resources and support for the involvement of these professionals in the care delivery process. On the other hand, the clinical staff including healthcare provider and nurses will work in collaboration with the professional interpreters to enhance communication with patients during the care delivery process.

Professional interpreters will act as intermediaries between the healthcare provider/clinicians and the patient and his/her family. The role of these interpreters would involve helping patients and their families to better understand the various processes in management or treatment of their conditions. The relevant healthcare agencies will provide the necessary financial and material resources to support the use of professional interpreters to enhance communication and medication adherence among elderly Hispanic patients.

This project has been designed based on the assumption that the healthcare provider was underwriting the direct costs is critical toward determining the effectiveness or efficiency of the proposed intervention. Additionally, the relevant healthcare agencies are expected to provide grants and/or in-kind contributions to support the project’s implementation. The hospital management will need training or education on how to create an environment that support the involvement of professional interpreters in the care delivery process.

On the other hand, the healthcare staff should be educated on their role in this process while relevant healthcare agencies require information regarding the design and implementation of the project and its anticipated benefits in the clinical setting. Once this project is designed, a pilot implementation phase will be carried out and areas requiring improvement identified. These improvements will be made prior to its full implementation and periodic evaluation every quarter.

During the evaluation emerging issues relating to the project will be identified and addressed to help enhance its overall effectiveness. In conclusion, care delivery processes are characterized by interactions between different stakeholders including healthcare providers, individual patient, and his/her family. Therefore, effective communication is an essential component towards achieving the desired patient outcomes. In this regard, its important for the various stakeholders in the care delivery process to.