Use of Professional Interpreters During Pediatric Emergency Department Visits

Professional medical interpretation is critical for delivering high-quality care to patients and families with limited English proficiency (LEP). Researchers catalogued the use of professional interpretation for every medical communication during pediatric emergency department (ED) visits by 50 Spanish-speaking LEP families who agreed to be videotaped. The families had been randomly assigned to telephone or video interpretation as part of a larger study.

Professional interpretation was used at least once during the visit for 86% and 95% of families assigned to telephone and video interpreters, respectively. However, over the course of the visit interpretation was used only 36% and 33% of the time, respectively. Providers (defined as physicia…