The University of Arizona Department of Emergency Medicine received a $15,000 grant from the Academic Insurance Funding, Limited (AIFL) Risk Management Process Improvement Fund to support a medical Spanish immersion curriculum for emergency medicine residents and staff at the University of Arizona Medical Center – South Campus.
UAMC – South Campus treats a high volume of Hispanic Spanish-speaking patients. The goal of the training is to improve quality of care received by Spanish-speaking patients by having medical professionals able to communicate in the patients’ native language.
“Given that the patient population is 40 percent Hispanic in Tucson and 85 percent Hispanic in South Tucson, the need for proficiency in Spanish by medical providers is becoming critical, especially in emergencies where a delay in translation could be life threatening,” says Lisa Stoneking, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine and residency program director at South Campus. “The Emergency Department, with its high acuity and high volume, is a place where Spanish-speaking and cross-cultural communication skills will allow our physicians and staff to better serve our patients.”
Studies have shown that language barriers are an important detriment to quality health care. In an emergency situation, when timing is most critical, limited English-proficient (LEP) patients may be at greater risk of serious medical errors due to communication problems. After emergency department discharge, LEP Spanish-speaking patients are less likely than their English-speaking counterparts to understand their diagnosis, to be prescribed medications or follow‐up care, and are more likely to miss appointments and skip prescriptions. LEP Spanish-speaking patients also express dissatisfaction with medical staff listening skills, getting questions answered, receiving explanations about medications, procedures or test results, and receiving reassurance and support from their medical providers.
All emergency medicine residents at UAMC – South Campus will participate in the program. Once proficiency is established, residents will enroll in Dual Role Interpreter training to be accredited as a bilingual provider. Also, the program will be offered to all ED staff.
Leading the Spanish language training effort are members of the Departments of Emergency Medicine, Surgery, Family and Community Medicine, Spanish and Portuguese, and Mexican American Studies.
“A Medical Spanish Immersion Curriculum at South Campus will improve communication in the emergency department, increase patient adherence on follow-up appointments and prescriptions, and improve patient satisfaction,” Dr. Stoneking says.