Increasing immigration and cultural diversity means that around one in 35 Australians has limited English proficiency. Patients with insufficient English proficiency are more likely to experience severe adverse health events in hospital, even death. A study by the Australian National University looked at adverse outcomes experienced by such patients which could be attributed to failure to use a suitable interpreter during health consultations.
The research covered 471 patients who presented to a community based refugee health service in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 financial years. Almost three quarters of the patients required an interpreter. The study found that failure to use an appropriate interpreter resulted in 24 incidents experienced by 21 of the patients with the majority of reported incidents occurring in hospital settings around obtaining informed consent.
Additionally there were adverse outcomes as a result of discharge medication instructions. Four of the incidents resulted in physical harm and nine resulted in delayed investigation and diagnosis. The study found that the psychical and psychological harm experienced by the patients could be attributed to an inadequate interpreter including the use of a neighbour, friend or family member as interpreter, or no interpreter used at all as the patient’s English was considered adequate.
Free interpreting service available for medical practitioners
Approved medical specialists and general practitioners working in private practice in Australia can avail themselves of a free interpreting service when delivering services which attract a Medicare rebate to patients with a Medicare card. Nursing staff and other practice support staff can also access the service when working with practitioners who are registered with the service which is delivered by TIS National.
The TIS service is estimated to be used by one in every 100 consultations by doctors in private practice. Over 3000 interpreters proficient in over 165 languages are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Health professionals wishing to use the free interpreting service must first register for a client code, which is a quick and simple process. Phone and on-site interpreting services may be pre-booked, alternatively the Doctors Priority Line provides priority access to interpreters for immediate phone interpreting.
Health professionals are encouraged to use interpreters when there is any doubt about a patient’s English proficiency, especially for consultations involving consent or which are complex, in crisis situations, or assessing patient competence. An information sheet about the free interpreting service available to medical practitioners is available from the Australian Government Department of Social Services. TIS National also provides promotional and instructional materials on how to use the service effectively.