Effect of Dedicated In-Person Interpreter on Satisfaction and Efficiency in Otolaryngology Ambulatory Clinic.

Autor: Johnston, Douglas R., Lavin, Jennifer M., Hammer, Allison Rose, Studer, Abbey, Harding, Colin, Thompson, Dana M.
Zdroj: Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery; May2021, Vol. 164 Issue 5, p944-951, 8p
Abstrakt: Objective: In a large academic children's hospital ambulatory clinic, the increasing demand for Spanish interpretation exceeds the Interpreting Services Department capacity, necessitating telephone interpretation. By adding a dedicated Spanish interpreter in the otolaryngology clinic, we aimed to decrease visit times for Spanish-speaking patients and increase satisfaction. Additional aims explored if dedicated Spanish interpreters could increase patients seen per session.Methods: A quality improvement initiative investigated baseline state compared to 2 tests of change using video interpretation and dedicated, in-person interpretation. Time permitting, interpreters contacted patients before the visit to decrease missed appointments and late arrivals. Measures included clinic visit times, late arrivals, missed appointments, and family/employee satisfaction scores. Actuarial statistics forecasted if on-site Spanish interpreters would affect patients seen per session and the potential addition of sessions.Results: In-person interpretation reduced visit times for Spanish-speaking patients from 55 to 48 minutes (P = .01) and 57 to 48 minutes for all patients (P < .0001). Nearly 50% of video calls experienced technical difficulties. Families and employees preferred in-person over video and phone interpretation. No-show visits decreased by 25% and late arrivals by 17%.Discussion: Implementing dedicated Spanish interpreters may increase productivity and enhance family experience.Implications For Practice: Reducing patient visit time by 9 minutes permits 2 additional patients per clinic session (1560 visits, 390 surgeries per year). Applied institution-wide, the intervention could create 29% more capacity in the ambulatory schedule (31,000 additional visits) and reduce actuarial need for ambulatory sessions in the same clinic space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index
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