Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38232982›Full record

ArticleBMJ open quality2024

Advancing language concordant care: a multimodal medical interpretation intervention.

Nazia Sharfuddin, Pamela Mathura, Amanda Mac, Emily Ling, Merve Tan, Emad Khatib, Yvonne Suranyi, Narmin Kassam

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open quality, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Painful feet as the presenting symptom of mononeuritis multiplex in a 47-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Nazia SharfuddinDepartment of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada nazia_sharfuddin@hms.harvard.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-2563-9674
Pamela MathuraDepartment of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Amanda MacTemerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8469-0616
Emily LingDepartment of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Merve TanMedicine, Koc Universitesi, Istanbul, Turkey.ORCID 0000-0002-4519-8845
Emad KhatibInonu University School of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.
Yvonne SuranyiAlberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Narmin KassamDepartment of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEnsuring language concordant care through medical interpretation services (MIS) allows for accurate information sharing and positive healthcare experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a regional halt of in-person interpreters, leaving only digital MIS options, such as phone and video. Due to longstanding institutional practices, and lack of accessibility and awareness of these options, digital MIS remained underused. A Multimodal Medical Interpretation Intervention (MMII) was developed and piloted to increase digital MIS usage by 25% over an 18-month intervention period for patients with limited English proficiency.

methodsApplying quality improvement methodology, an intervention comprised digital MIS technology and education was trialled for 18 months. To assess intervention impact, the number of digital MIS minutes was measured monthly and compared before and after implementation. A questionnaire was developed and administered to determine healthcare providers' awareness, technology accessibility and perception of MIS integration in the clinical workflow.

resultsDigital MIS was used consistently from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020) and over the subsequent 18 months. The total number of minutes of MIS use per month increased by 44% following implementation of our intervention. Healthcare providers indicated that digital MIS was vital in facilitating transparent communication with patients, and the MMII ensured awareness of and accessibility to the various MIS modalities.

conclusionImplementation of the MMII allowed for an increase in digital MIS use in a hospital setting. Providing digital MIS access, education and training is a means to advance patient-centred and equitable care by improving accuracy of clinical assessments and communication.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsCommunicationDelivery of Health CareHumansLanguagehealth equityhospital medicinequality improvement

Identifiers

PMID38232982
PMCPMC10806550

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.