Access to Interpreter Services at U.S. Dental School Clinics

Abstract

The number of Americans with limited English proiciency (LEP) is growing, and legal protections mandate that LEP individuals have equal access to health care services. The aim of this study was to determine the availability of interpretation services in U.S. dental school clinics and the kinds of instruction dental students are given regarding treatment of LEP patients. A survey was distributed to the academic deans of all U.S. dental schools; 35 completed the survey for a response rate of 58%.Respondents were asked to report on the number of LEP patients treated in their student clinics, the resources available to students working with LEP patients, and the extent of instruction offered. Descriptive statistics were calculated. The results indicated that the proportion of LEP patients treated at U.S. dental schools was perceived to be higher than that of the general population. The availability of interpreter services and the extent of student education about LEP individuals varied widely. Among the responding schools, the most common language spoken by LEP patients was Spanish, followed by Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) and Russian. Most of the responding dental schools reported offering fewer than two hours of instruction to their predoctoral students on treating LEP patients. Although almost 90% of the respondents indicated believing LEP patients received care equal in quality to that of non-LEP patients in their clinics, only 61.9% indicated that their students were adequately prepared to manage LEP patients following graduation. These indings suggest that dental schools should consider curricular innovations that will prepare students to work with LEP populations and improve the ability of LEP patients to receive care in the teaching clinic setting.

Creating and Evaluating Skills‐Based Training in Working with Spoken‐Language Interpreters for Oral Health Professions Students

“…This result is consistent with the findings of Simon et al, who reported in 2017 a similar lack of confidence among students in working with patients who are LEP, even at graduation 12 . Additionally, like most schools in Simon et al's study published in 2016, 13 Minnesota's formal instruction in working with interpreters is presented briefly in a lecture format related to cultural competence and social determinants of health. Students reported they traditionally relied on informal experience in the school clinics to develop actual patient‐provider‐interpreter communication skills.…”

“…Using an action research approach to design, the project team created a rich and meaningful learning experience to develop fundamental skills in working with interpreters and patients who are LEP. This highly interactive, three‐hour, skills‐based workshop stands in contrast to Simon et al's finding that written resources and informational lectures were the most commonly used methods in dental schools for this kind of instruction 13 …”

“…In dental education, training in working with interpreters is varied. A recent survey of U.S. dental school academic deans found that most schools offered fewer than two hours of instruction about working with interpreters to predoctoral dental students, and the primary means of instruction were written resources and informational lectures 13 . By contrast, the collaborative nature of our Minnesota training program involves an exchange of expertise and experience of both students and educators from oral health and interpreting services.…”

Characteristics of Patients Discontinuing Care

“…LEP individuals tend to have lower income and poorer oral health [24]. Previous research has indicated that dental schools may see more LEP patients than the national average [25]. Interestingly, in this study, the proportion of patients with LEP seen in the teaching practice, 7.97%, was found to be lower than the proportion of Massachusetts residents with LEP, 8.8% [26].…”

Problems of education in foreign university dental clinics

“…Однако конституция регламентирует их равный с коренными жителями доступ к медицинской помощи. В связи с большим наплывом таких пациентов в клиниках стоматологических школ у стоматологов-студентов возникают определенные трудности [31,32]. Установлено, что подобные больные получают меньше внимания и худшее лечение, хотя имеют более низкие показатели здоровья, чем пациенты, у которых английский язык родной.…”