I am a health equity researcher focused on language barriers so have gotten questions about approach MGH is taking as described in this excellent article 1/6 (short thread) #LEPcare #medtwitter #healthequity
When Coronavirus Care Gets Lost in Translation https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/health/covid-coronavirus-medical-translators.html?smid=tw-share">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/1...

Bottom line: I think MGH is doing the right thing by embedding Spanish-speaking clinicians into their COVID-19 teams to speak with patients and families. Here is why. 2/6

PPE muffles sounds and impedes interpretation. Telephone makes that worse. But the main thing is that language concordance is so much better for comprehension and for establishing trust. See recent systematic review Diamond, JGIM, 2019 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-019-04847-5">https://link.springer.com/article/1... 3/6

Systems should go ahead and do this when have many Spanish speaking pts with COVID.
+Ensure voluntary and paid
+Ask clinicians to self-rate their own Spanish on 5 point scale. If at the top (excellent) then high correlation with passing certification exams. 4/6

One more thing. Giving families terrible news over the phone is a huge emotional burden. Make sure these clinicians can unburden and spread the work.
Tagging other researchers and equity advocates
5/6

@elainekhoong @translatedmed @DrLisaDiamond @lfernandezi @KarlaGalaviz10 @LucySchulson @TalamantesDr @DrVSalcedo @TAragonMD @NavarroMillanMD @CarlosdelRio7 @DrChinazo @LisaCooperMD @gradydoctor @CarlosdelRio7 @UREssien @gcsmd @KBibbinsDomingo 6/6 (end)