Harvard Catalyst Profiles

Patients and families with non-English language preference (NELP) experience barriers to optimal medical care delivery, both in outpatients and inpatient settings. Despite the association between NELP and worse clinical outcomes and quality metrics and the positive influence of interpreter use, a recent survey of parents of PICU patients reported interpreters were used only 47-53% of the time. Understanding the current use of interpreter services, in-person and remote, in two multidisciplinary PICUs at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) will help identify barriers and opportunities for the optimal care of patients with NELP. A student working on this project would have the opportunity to evaluate data from the electronic health record and the interpreter services log, work on data management and analysis, and collaborate on interpretation and manuscript preparation. Additionally, after initial review and analysis of the retrospective data, there will be opportunities to participate in interventions to improve/increase appropriate use of interpretation services in the PICUs at BCH.