Interpreter Modalities and Unplanned Emergency Department Revisits in Limited English Proficiency Patients.

Introduction: Emergency department encounters include an increasing number of patients with limited English proficiency, yet little is known about the impact of interpreter services on unplanned revisits to the emergency department. This study aims to assess interpreters' utilization and unplanned ED revisits, serving as an indicator of care quality.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective chart review of ED visits at an urban academic center between January and April 2019.

Overcoming the language barrier: a novel curriculum for training medical students as volunteer medical interpreters.

Background: Over 41 million people in the United States speak Spanish as their primary language, of which 16 million have limited English proficiency (LEP). It is well-established that language barriers contribute to health disparities and that the use of ad-hoc interpretation by untrained family members results in substandard care. We developed a novel interpreter training program for medical students to serve as in-person interpreters at a charitable, resident continuity clinic so as to overcome the language barrier in the delivery of healthcare to LEP patients.