Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41647259›Full record

ArticleJAMIA open2026

Understanding language barriers within patient portals: workarounds and opportunities for Spanish-speaking caregivers.

Gabriel Tse, Stephanie Squires, Jennifer L Carlson, Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Katherine Hu, Michelle M Kelly

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JAMIA open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

6 authors.

Gabriel TseDivision of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3963-4372
Stephanie SquiresDivision of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305, United States.
Jennifer L CarlsonDivision of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305, United States.
Bonnie Halpern-FelsherDivision of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305, United States.
Katherine HuDivision of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305, United States.
Michelle M KellyDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53792, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: To explore how Spanish-speaking caregivers navigate translation barriers in patient portals and to assess their perspectives on improving language accessibility. Materials and methods: This qualitative study was conducted at a pediatric academic health system. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Spanish-speaking caregivers of children with chronic conditions, and inductive thematic analysis was used to generate themes. Results: Twenty caregivers participated. Three key themes emerged: (1) Caregivers rely on online machine translation tools, which can be inaccurate and time-consuming; (2) Caregivers frequently depend on children and family members for translation, raising concerns about comprehension and appropriateness; (3) Caregivers expressed strong interest in timely and accurate translation features within patient portals to enhance accessibility. Discussion: Spanish-speaking caregivers develop workarounds to access medical information, but these strategies pose risks to patient safety and exacerbate digital health inequities. While AI-powered machine translation offers a potential solution, concerns about accuracy, regulatory compliance, and equitable implementation must be addressed. Conclusion: Spanish-speaking caregivers face significant challenges in accessing health information through patient portals. Health systems should prioritize integrated translation solutions, leveraging AI-driven tools while ensuring accuracy and equitable implementation to improve language accessibility.

Indexed as

digital healthlanguage equitymachine translationpatient portals

Identifiers

PMID41647259
PMCPMC12870847

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.