Abstract
Background: A linguistic mismatch may arise between patients and providers in healthcare settings when they do not share a common language. This can pose a significant challenge to effective communication, leading to disparities in care and reduced quality of life.
Objective: Further research is necessary to determine the efficacy of English-to-Spanish interpretation in audiology and its impact on access to hearing healthcare. This study examined interpreters' word choice and delivery to lay the groundwork for future studies.
Design: A mixed methods framework was employed to understand how interpreter word selection affects the delivery of messages from audiologists to Spanish-speaking patients.
Measurements: English transcriptions of video simulation responses were analyzed using deductive analysis and interpreter error ranking methods and cross-analyzed with participant interview responses for context. Literacy levels needed to understand interpreters were also analyzed.
Results: The results reveal seven primary themes that, along with error frequencies, provide insights into barriers faced by individuals with limited English proficiency during audiology appointments. A discrepancy was observed between the English source material and the final translation. Additionally, a positive correlation was demonstrated between utterance complexity and omission, false fluency, and repetition error types. Further analysis revealed that the requisite for comprehending Spanish-interpreted content averaged at the 11th-grade level.
Conclusions: This research highlights the benefits of utilizing a mixed-method design that employs convergent and complimentary triangulation methodology to improve the precision of interpretations or translations of audiologic materials. Such an approach can enhance the reliability and validity of the results, thereby contributing to the advancement of the field.