Physician-Patient Language Discordance and Poor Health Outcomes: A Systematic Scoping Review

Medical Interpreting Services for Refugees in Canada: Current State of Practice and Considerations in Promoting this Essential Human Right for All

Language barriers, specifically among refugees, pose significant challenges to delivering quality healthcare in Canada. While the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the emergence and development of innovative alternatives such as telephone-based and video-conferencing medical interpreting services and AI tools, access remains uneven across Canada. This comprehensive analysis highlights the absence of a cohesive national strategy, reflected in diverse funding models employed across provinces and territories, with gaps and disparities in access to medical interpreting services. Advocating for medical interpreting, both as a moral imperative and a prudent investment, this article draws from human rights principles and ethical considerations, justified in national and international guidelines, charters, codes and regulations. Substantiated by a cost-benefit analysis, it emphasizes that medical interpreting enhances healthcare quality and preserves patient autonomy. Additionally, this article illuminates decision-making processes for utilizing interpreting services; recognizing the pivotal roles of clinicians, interpreters, patients and caregivers within the care circle; appreciating intersectional considerations such as gender, culture and age, underscoring the importance of a collaborative approach. Finally, it provides recommendations at provider, organizational and system levels to ensure equitable access to this right and to promote the health and well-being of refugees and other individuals facing language barriers within Canada's healthcare system.

Challenges in and Opportunities for Electronic Health Record-Based Data Analysis and Interpretation

Electronic health records (EHRs) have been increasingly adopted in clinical practices across the United States, providing a primary source of data for clinical research, particularly observational cohort studies. EHRs are a high-yield, low-maintenance source of longitudinal real-world data for large patient populations and provide a wealth of information and clinical contexts that are useful for clinical research and translation into practice. Despite these strengths, it is important to recognize the multiple limitations and challenges related to the use of EHR data in clinical research. Missing data are a major source of error and biases and can affect the representativeness of the cohort of interest, as well as the accuracy of the outcomes and exposures. Here, we aim to provide a critical understanding of the types of data available in EHRs and describe the impact of data heterogeneity, quality, and generalizability, which should be evaluated prior to and during the analysis of EHR data. We also identify challenges pertaining to data quality, including errors and biases, and examine potential sources of such biases and errors. Finally, we discuss approaches to mitigate and remediate these limitations. A proactive approach to addressing these issues can help ensure the integrity and quality of EHR data and the appropriateness of their use in clinical studies.

Communicating without a Shared Language: A Qualitative Study of Language Barriers in Language-Discordant Cancer Communication

We use language to achieve understanding, and language barriers can have major health consequences for patients with serious illness. While ethnic minorities are more likely to experience social inequalities in health and health care, communicative processes in language-discordant cancer care remain unexplored. This study aimed to investigate communication between patients with cancer and limited Danish proficiency and oncology clinicians, with special emphasis on how linguistic barriers influenced patient involvement and decision-making. 18 participant observations of clinical encounters were conducted. Field notes and transcriptions of audio recordings were analyzed, and three themes were identified: Miscommunication and uncertainty as a basic linguistic condition; Impact of time on patient involvement; Unequally divided roles and (mis)communication responsibilities. The results showed that professional interpreting could not eradicate miscommunication but was crucial for achieving understanding. Organizational factors related to time and professional interpreting limited patient involvement. Without professional interpreting, patients' relatives were assigned massive communication responsibilities. When no Danish-speaking relatives partook, clinicians' ethical dilemmas further increased as did patient safety risks. Language barriers have consequences for everyone who engages in health communication, and the generated knowledge about how linguistic inequality manifests itself in clinical practice can be used to reduce social inequalities in health and health care.

Breast Cancer Incidence Among Asian American Women in New York City: Disparities in Screening and Presentation

BACKGROUND

Asian American (AsAm) women have some of the lowest rates of up-to-date breast cancer screening, and lack of disaggregated racial/ethnic data can mask disparities. We evaluated presentation patterns among AsAms at two hospitals with distinct communities: New York Presbyterian-Queens (NYPQ), in Flushing, Queens and Weill Cornell Medical Center (WCM), on the Upper East Side (UES) neighborhood of Manhattan.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer between January 2019 and December 2022 were identified using a prospective database and clinical data collected. Patients were categorized as self-reported Asian versus Non-Asian. The Asian group was disaggregated as Chinese-Asian versus Other-Asian. Physician workforce data were obtained from public records.

RESULTS

A total of 3546 patients (1162 NYPQ, 2384 WCM) were included. More NYPQ patients identified as Asian compared with WCM (49 vs. 14%, p < 0.001). Asian patients were mostly East Asian Chinese (NYPQ 61%, WCM 53%). More Chinese patients at NYPQ reported Chinese as their preferred language (81 vs. 33%, p < 0.001). Greatest differences of screen-detected disease frequency were seen between NYPQ and WCM Chinese patients (75 vs. 59%, p < 0.001). Eighty percent of NYPQ Chinese patients presented with stage 0/I disease versus 69% at WCM (p = 0.007), a difference not observed between Other-Asian patients (75% NYPQ, 68% WCM, p = 0.095). 3% of UES physicians versus 16% in Flushing reported speaking Chinese.

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese patients residing in a neighborhood with more Chinese-speaking physicians more frequently presented with screen-detected, early-stage breast cancer. Stage distribution differences were not apparent among the aggregated pool of Other-Asian patients, suggesting cancer disparities may be masked when ethnic groups are studied in aggregate.

Health and Racial Disparities: Importance of Accurate and Reliable Ethnicity, Race, and Language Data

Introduction: Accurate demographic data are essential to identify and monitor differences, trends, and changes in diabetes-related conditions between Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks (NHBs). It also provides pertinent information to reduce health and racial disparities among English- and Spanish-speakers. Method: The study's design was a quantitative cross-sectional one. Electronic medical record (EMR) and survey data of the same sample were compared. Descriptive statistics were computed for ethnicity, preferred language, and physiological data. Frequency and percentages were calculated for each continuous and categorical variable. Chi-square was calculated to compare physiological variables by ethnicity and language. Results: During a 5-month period (September 2021-February 2022), 106 individuals from New York City with diabetes took part in this study. Among Hispanics, most from the EMR identified as Other (82.4%), whereas from the survey, most identified as White (57.1%). More Hispanics (19%) and Spanish speakers (18%) had high triglyceride levels compared to NHBs (2%) and English speakers (3%). Conclusion: Ensuring that demographic data are accurate can better inform programs. Because Hispanics and Spanish speakers had the highest triglyceride levels, diabetes programs need to include information on cardiovascular disease and must be available in Spanish, to further reduce risk factors, improve health outcomes, and promote health equity among these populations.

Point-of-care communication for patients with limited language proficiency: A scoping review of healthcare interpretation applications

OBJECTIVE

Linguistic diversity has the potential to create barriers for limited language proficiency (LLP) patients when navigating the healthcare system. When a verified interpretation method is utilized, there are improvements in LLP patient outcomes. The purpose of this scoping review is to identify articles that outline applications used for point-of-care tasks between LLP patients and providers.

METHODS

The Arksey and O'Malley methodologic framework was utilized for study selection, data charting and analysis. Each application was evaluated on patient and provider satisfaction, overall feasibility, and time associated with interpretation.

RESULTS

Eight peer-reviewed journals are included (four pilot studies, one prospective study, two participatory studies, and one mixed methods design). Applications ranged in number of unique phrases (32-1800 phrases) and number of languages supported (1-39 languages). Overall, the applications were feasible to use and assisted with basic communication between providers and patients.

CONCLUSIONS

As patients and families become more comfortable with using technology, interpretation applications provide an innovative approach to streamline the interpretation process for point-of-care healthcare encounters.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Interpretation applications may increase an LLP patient's access to interpretation tools which can improve outcomes. Further studies should focus on implementing robust evaluation methods to assess these tools and evaluate the LLP patient's perspectives of interpretation applications.

Communication between healthcare providers and communicatively-vulnerable patients with associated health outcomes: A scoping review of knowledge syntheses

OBJECTIVE

Summarize literature on provider-patient communication linked to health outcomes in communicatively-vulnerable patient populations.

METHODS

Scoping review of reviews: systematically searched six databases.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

systematic searches and syntheses of literature; one or more providers and communicatively-vulnerable patients; synchronous in-person communication; intermediate or health outcome linked to communication.

RESULTS

The search yielded 14,615 citations; 47 reviews - with wide range of providers, communication vulnerabilities, communication practices, and health outcomes - met inclusion criteria. Methodology included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed approaches. Quality ranged from very low to high. Six categories of communication practices linked to health outcomes were identified: 1) motivation-based; 2) accommodation of language, culture, gender, sexual identity, and other concordance with the patient; 3) cultural adaptations of interventions; 4) use of interpreters; 5) other provider-patient communication practices; 6) patient communication practices.

CONCLUSION

Communication practices were studied in a wide range of providers, with common themes regarding best practices. A unique finding is the role of the patient's communication practices. The specificity of communication practices studied is heterogeneous, with many reviews providing insufficient details.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Motivation-based practices and culturally- and linguistically-appropriate care have impacts on patient outcomes across a range of settings with different professions and communicatively-vulnerable groups.

A cross-sectional survey of healthcare professionals supporting children and young people with epilepsy and their parents/carers: which topics are raised in clinical consultations and can healthcare professionals provide the support needed?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Children and young people (CYP) with epilepsy see healthcare professionals (HCPs) for management of their seizures but may require information, advice and support with a range of broader topics. The purpose of the survey was to identify from HCPs, which topics CYP with epilepsy and their parents/carers ask about other than seizure management, and how adequately HCPs feel able to support them with these topics.

METHOD

A cross-sectional online survey was used to collect data. Adverts which included a link to the survey were shared via social media channels, professional networks and United Kingdom (UK)-based epilepsy networks. Eighty-eight HCPs in the UK (who worked with CYP with epilepsy and their parents/carers) completed the survey. Quantitative data are presented descriptively. Qualitative data (free-text responses) were reflexively thematically analysed.

RESULTS

CYP with epilepsy and their parents/carers were reported to ask HCPs for information, advice and support about a range of topics, most commonly, cognition and mental health. CYP were reported as also frequently asking about aspects of their social life while parents/carers commonly asked about sleep. HCPs varied in how able they felt to adequately support families about these topics, as well as in their views about which resources could be most useful. Having insufficient time and a lack of suitable services and resources to refer to, or draw upon, were key barriers to HCPs being able to support CYP and their families.

DISCUSSION

Findings highlight the broad array of topics CYP with epilepsy and their families are reported as seeking support for. HCPs identified gaps in services and their abilities to meet those needs. There appeared to be a mismatch between the support that families were seeking and the ability of HCPs to meet these needs. Findings have implications for how HCPs could best be supported to deal with topics raised by CYP and families in clinic, highlighting the potential usefulness of informational resources on key topics for HCPs, parents/carers and CYP.

Association of language concordance and restraint use in adults receiving mechanical ventilation

PURPOSE

Clinician-patient language concordance improves patient outcomes in non-intensive care unit (ICU) settings. We sought to assess the association of ICU nurse-patient language concordance with delirium-related outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult English- or Spanish-speaking mechanically ventilated ICU patients admitted to ICUs at the University of Miami Hospital and Clinics (January 2021-September 2022). Our primary exposure was nurse-patient language concordance on each shift. We used mixed-effects multivariable regression to evaluate the association of language concordance with the primary outcome of restraint use, and secondary outcomes of agitation and identification of delirium, during each shift (with patient as a random effect).

RESULTS

Our cohort included 4326 shifts (3380 [78.1%] with language concordance) from 548 patients and 157 nurses. Spanish language was preferred by 269 (49.1%) of patients. English-speaking patients tended to be younger (65 [53, 75] vs 73 [61, 83], p < 0.001) and of non-Hispanic ethnicity (55.5% vs 7.1%, p < 0.001). English-speakers had restraints ordered on fewer of their included shifts (0 [0, 3] vs 1 [0, 3], p = 0.005). After adjustment, the odds of restraint use on shifts with language concordance was significantly lower (odds ratio [OR, 95% confidence interval [CI]]: 0.50 [0.39-0.63], p < 0.001). Agitation (18.6% vs 25.2%; OR [95% CI]: 0.71 [0.55-0.92], p = 0.009) and delirium identification (34.5% vs 41.3%; OR [95% CI]: 0.54 [0.34-0.88], p = 0.014) were also less common.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified a twofold reduction in the odds of restraint use among mechanically ventilated patients for language concordant nurse-patient dyads. Ensuring nurse-patient language concordance may improve ICU delirium, agitation, and restraint use.

Language Disparity Predicts Poor Patient-Reported Outcome and Follow-Up in Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction

BACKGROUND

 Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) have starkly different health care experiences compared with their English-proficient counterparts. The authors aim to examine the link between LEP and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing microsurgical breast reconstruction.

METHODS

 A retrospective review of all patients who underwent abdominal-based microsurgical breast reconstruction at our institution between 2009 and 2019 was performed. Variables collected included patient demographics, language status, interpreter usage, perioperative complications, follow-up visits, and self-reported outcomes (Breast-Q). Pearson's χ 2 test, Student's t-test, odds ratio analysis, and regression modeling were used for analysis.

RESULTS

 A total of 405 patients were included. LEP patients comprised 22.22% of the overall cohort with 80% of LEP patients utilizing interpreter services. LEP patients reported significantly lower satisfaction with an abdominal appearance at the 6-month follow-up and lower physical and sexual well-being scores at the 1-year follow-up (p = 0.05, 0.02, 0.01, respectively). Non-LEP patients had significantly longer operative times (539.6 vs. 499.3 minutes, p = 0.024), were more likely to have postoperative donor site revisions (p = 0.05), and more likely to receive preoperative neuraxial anesthesia (p = 0.01). After adjusting for confounders, LEP stats was associated with 0.93 fewer follow-up visits (p = 0.02). Interestingly, compared with LEP patients who did not receive interpreter services, LEP patients who did had 1.98 more follow-up visits (p = 0.02). There were no significant differences in emergency room visits or complications between the cohorts.

CONCLUSION

 Our findings suggest that language disparities exist within microsurgical breast reconstruction and underscore the importance of effective, language-conscious communication between surgeon and patient.

Association of Race, Ethnicity, Insurance, and Language and Rate of Breast-Conserving Therapy Among Women With Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer at an Urban, Safety-Net Hospital

INTRODUCTION

Breast-conserving therapy (BCT), specifically breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and adjuvant radiation, provides an equivalent alternative to mastectomy for eligible patients. However, previous studies have shown that BCT is underused in the United States, particularly among marginalized demographic groups. In this study, we examine the association between race, ethnicity, insurance, and language and rate of BCS among patients treated at an academic, safety-net hospital.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 520 women with nonmetastatic breast cancer diagnosed and treated at an academic, safety-net hospital (2009-2014). We assessed eligibility for BCT and then differences in the rate of BCT among eligible patients by race, ethnicity, insurance, and language. Reasons for not undergoing BCT were documented.

RESULTS

Median age was 60 y; 55.9% were non-White, 31.9% were non-English-speaking, 15.6% were Hispanic, and 47.4% were Medicaid/uninsured. Three hundred seventy one (86.3%) underwent BCS; within this group, 324 (87.3%) completed adjuvant radiation. Among patients undergoing mastectomy, 30 patients (36.7%) were eligible for BCT; within this group, reasons for mastectomy included patient preference (n = 28) and to avoid possible re-excision or adjuvant radiation in patients with significant comorbidities (n = 2). Eligibility for BCT varied by ethnicity (Hispanic [100%], Non-Hispanic [92%], P = 0.02), but not race, language, or insurance. Among eligible patients, rate of BCS varied by age (<50 y [84.9%], ≥50 y [92.9%], P = 0.01) and ethnicity (Hispanic [98.5%], Non-Hispanic [91.3%], P = 0.04), but not race, language, or insurance.

CONCLUSIONS

At our safety-net hospital, the rate of BCS among eligible patients did not vary by race, language, or insurance. Excluding two highly comorbid patients, all patients who underwent mastectomy despite being eligible for BCT were counseled regarding BCS and expressed a preference for mastectomy. Further research is needed to understand the value of BCT in the treatment of breast cancer, to ensure informed decision-making, address potential misconceptions regarding BCT, and advance equitable care for all patients.

Effective communication with linguistically diverse patients: A concept analysis

OBJECTIVE

Effective communication is essential to providing high-quality healthcare. For linguistically diverse patients, communication remains a barrier to receiving equitable healthcare throughout the globe. It is necessary to examine the concept of effective communication with linguistically diverse patients.

METHODS

The Walker and Avant method was used to analyze the concept.

RESULTS

We define effective communication with linguistically diverse patients as any verbal or written communication between two or more individuals who do not speak the same language that utilizes accurate translation techniques to reach a shared message or understanding, where all parties involved are listened to and actively engaged. The antecedents, attributes, consequences, and empirical referents are mapped.

CONCLUSION

Effective communication with linguistically diverse patients is limited by a lack of access to professional language assistance, structural racism/discrimination, and policy barriers.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Healthcare workers hold the power to provide language assistance to patients and should therefore receive training in cultural competency, cultural humility, and how to work with professional medical interpreters and language access programs. Institutions should invest in multimodal approaches to provide equitable healthcare to linguistically diverse patients.

Readability of Online Patient Educational Materials in Pediatric Orthopaedics: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

As most patients and their families utilize online education materials, ensuring that their readability is at or below the recommended reading level of sixth grade is imperative to enhance informed consent, patient involvement, and shared decision-making. We evaluated and compared the readability of online patient education materials (PEMs) about pediatric orthopaedics for academic-sponsored websites and search-engine result websites.

METHODS

Following the PRISMA-P guidelines, we performed a systematic review to answer our study question (PROSPERO registration of the study protocol: CRD42022352323, August 8, 2022). PubMed, EBSCOhost, Medline, and Google Scholar electronic databases were utilized to identify all studies evaluating the readability of pediatric orthopaedic online PEMs between January 1, 2000 and September 9, 2022. We included studies with full-text manuscripts in English addressing the readability of pediatric orthopaedic online patient education materials. We excluded general reviews, papers, case reports, duplicate studies between databases, grey literature, and publications in languages other than English. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool for cross-sectional studies.

RESULTS

Our initial search yielded 196 candidate publications. Of these, 11 studies met inclusion criteria. These included a total of 893 PEMs assessed for readability between January 2001 to December 2021. The mean JBI score was 7.3±1.1. Each of the seven studies assessing PEMs from academic-sponsored sources reported mean readability scores of at least an eighth-grade level. Among the 5 studies assessing the readability of PEMs accessed through search engines, 3 studies reported ninth-grade reading level whereas the other 2 reported 10th-grade. Academic and search-engine website readability scores remained constant between 2001 and 2021.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis showed poor readability scores for both academic-sponsored website PEMs and those accessed through search engines. In addition, the readability scores remained constant between 2001 and 2021, indicating that revisions to orthopaedic online PEMs are needed. Supplementation with visuals should be included to educate patients with lower health literacy.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Health professions school applicant experiences of discrimination during interviews

BACKGROUND

Bias pervades every aspect of healthcare including admissions, perpetuating the lack of diversity in the healthcare workforce. Admissions interviews may be a time when applicants to health profession education programs experience discrimination.

METHODS

Between January and June 2021 we invited US and Canadian applicants to health profession education programs to complete a survey including the Everyday Discrimination Scale, adapted to ascertain experiences of discrimination during admissions interviews. We used chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression to determine associations between identity factors and positive responses.

RESULTS

Of 1115 respondents, 281 (25.2%) reported discrimination in the interview process. Individuals with lower socioeconomic status (OR: 1.78, 95% CI [1.26, 2.52], p = 0.001) and non-native English speakers (OR: 1.76, 95% CI [1.08, 2.87], p = 0.02) were significantly more likely to experience discrimination. Half of those experiencing discrimination (139, or 49.6%) did nothing in response, though 44 (15.7%) reported the incident anonymously and 10 (3.6%) reported directly to the institution where it happened.

CONCLUSIONS

Reports of discrimination are common among HPE applicants. Reforms at the interviewer- (e.g. avoiding questions about family planning) and institution-level (e.g. presenting institutional efforts to promote health equity) are needed to decrease the incidence and mitigate the impact of such events.

The Landmark Series: The Breast Cancer Burden of the Asian American Population and the Need for Disaggregated Data

The Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) population is a heterogeneous group of people from geographically and ethnically distinct regions of the world. Traditionally, these patients have been reported as one large aggregate in the breast cancer literature under the race category of "Asian." A detailed examination of this group shows compelling evidence that breast cancer manifests differently among Asian ethnic subgroups, resulting in overlooked health disparities when these races are grouped together. The AAPI community is the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, and their incidence of breast cancer is increasing at rates greater than among their non-Asian counterparts. When these patients are disaggregated by race, they show wide variations in breast cancer screening, presentation, treatment, and outcomes. This population often faces additional unique challenges in the health care system due to cultural, social, health literacy, and language barriers, which can contribute to further disparity. Our landmark series aims to showcase the breadth of the breast cancer burden in the AAPI population and highlight the need for disaggregated ethnic data.

Hyperlipidaemia and Weight Amongst Afghani Refugees Attending a General Practice Clinic in Regional Australia

Obesity and chronic disease are increasing problems in refugee populations. Afghani refugees undergoing hepatitis B vaccination between January 2015 and December 2017 at a general practice clinic received dietary counselling sessions in Dari by native speaking clinicians. Anthropometry, blood pressure, fasting lipids and liver function tests were measured at both visits with results compared over time. 110/119 refugees requiring hepatitis B vaccination were recruited into the study. Mean BMI was lower at follow up visits (25.4 vs 26.1 by wilcoxon signed rank test p 0.04) with 72 of 110 participants losing a median of 2 kg between visits (range 0.5-14 kg) a mean of 206 days after the initial consultation. Median triglyceride levels were lower at the second visit than the first (1.4 vs 1.3 mmol/L Wilcoxon signed rank test Z = 3.5, p 0.0004). This cohort of refugees lost weight and showed a small improvement in triglyceride levels between visits.

Self-reported pain among Cambodian Americans with depression: patient-provider communication as an overlooked social determinant

Objectives

Pain is common among torture survivors and refugees. Clear communication about one’s pain is vital to timely and precise diagnosis and treatment but is rarely recognized as a social determinant of health. We examined whether self-reported difficulty communicating with their health care provider, along with standard social determinants, is associated with self-reported pain in Cambodian American refugees.

Methods

Secondary data analysis was conducted on n = 186 baseline assessments from a diabetes prevention trial of Cambodian Americans with depression. Bilingual, bicultural community health workers (CHWs) conducted surveys including social determinants of health and past week pain occurrence and interference.

Results

The sample was 78% female, modal household income = $25,000, mean age = 55 years, and mean education = 6.9 years. About one-third had private insurance and two-thirds could not speak English conversationally. The average pain score was 2.8 on a scale from 0–8 with 37% reporting no pain at all. In bivariate analyses, predictors of higher pain scores were higher difficulty understanding healthcare provider, depressive symptoms, trauma symptoms, food insecurity, and social isolation; predictors of lower pain scores were higher years of education, income, English language proficiency, social support, working, and having private insurance. In the multivariate backward elimination model only two predictors were retained: difficulty understanding healthcare provider and depressive symptoms.

Discussion

We propose that healthcare communication is a modifiable social determinant of health. Healthcare institutions should receive the resources necessary to secure patients’ rights to clear communication including trained community health workers.

Evaluating Patient and Family Experience Among Spanish-Speaking and LatinX Patients: a Scoping Review of Existing Instruments

INTRODUCTION

LatinX populations are rapidly growing in the USA, but still report lower levels of patient centered care and satisfaction when compared to their non-LatinX white counterparts. This review encompasses literature which describes patient experience instruments that (1) evaluate LatinX experience, (2) have validated Spanish versions, or (3) measure language-concordant care experiences.

METHODS

A scoping review of literature in Ovid Medline, CINAHL, and PsycINFO was conducted. Articles were excluded if they were not applicable to the health care industry, did not include a patient experience instrument, or did not include LatinX or Spanish-speaking individuals within their study population. Data extraction was performed for concepts measured, study size, population, health care setting, and languages validated.

RESULTS

This review identified 224 manuscripts. Of these, 81 met full inclusion criteria and represented 60 unique instruments. These covered six categories: general patient experience (43%, n = 26/60), experiences of discrimination/mistrust (12%, n = 7/60), cultural factors (10%, n = 6/60), patient-provider relationship (10%, n = 6/60), and communication (8%, n = 5/60). The remaining instruments measured multiple categories (17%, n = 10/60). Just over one third of instruments (n = 24, 5 pediatric, 19 adult) were validated in Spanish and an additional 14 (23%) were validated in English alone. Finally, 4 (7%) instruments were identified which were developed for use in a language concordant setting.

CONCLUSION

Many instruments were identified which evaluate LatinX patient experience; however, none was both validated in Spanish and measured in all key categories of experience described above. Additionally, few instruments were developed for holistic evaluation of patient experience in pediatric or language concordant care settings.

Strategies For Enhancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Medical School Admissions–A Canadian Medical School's Journey

Background

Medical schools aim to select and train future physicians representative of and able to serve their diverse population needs. Enhancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in admissions processes includes identifying and mitigating barriers for those underrepresented in medicine (URM).

Summary of Innovations

In 2017, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry (Western University, Ontario, Canada) critically reviewed its general Admissions pathways for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. Till that time, interview invitations were primarily based on academic metrics rather than a holistic review as for its Indigenous MD Admissions pathway. To help diversify the Canadian physician workforce, Schulich Medicine utilized a multipronged approach with five key changes implemented over 2 years into the general MD Admissions pathways: 1. A voluntary applicant diversity survey (race, socioeconomic status, and community size) to examine potential barriers within the Admissions process; 2. Diversification of the admissions committee and evaluator pool with the inclusion of an Equity Representative on the admissions committee; 3. A biosketch for applicants' life experiences; 4. Implicit bias awareness training for Committee members, file reviewers and interviewers; and 5. A specific pathway for applicants with financial, sociocultural, and medical barriers (termed ACCESS pathway). Diversity data before (Class of 2022) vs. after (Class of 2024) these initiatives and of the applicant pool vs. admitted class were examined.

Conclusion

For the Class of 2024, the percentage of admitted racialized students (55.2%), those with socioeconomic challenges (32.3%), and those from remote/rural/small town communities (18.6%) reflected applicant pool demographics (52.8, 29.9, and 17.2%, respectively). Additionally, 5.3% (vs. 5.6% applicant pool) of admitted students had applied through ACCESS. These data suggest that barriers within the admissions process for these URM populations were potentially mitigated by these initiatives. The initiatives broadly improved representation of racialized students, LGBTQ2S+, and those with disability with statistically significant increases in representation of those with socioeconomic challenges (32.3 vs. 19.3%, p = 0.04), and those with language diversity (42.1 vs. 35.0%, p = 0.04). Thus, these changes within the general MD admissions pathways will help diversify the future Canadian physician workforce and inform future initiatives to address health equity and social accountability within Canada.

Rule-Based Models for Risk Estimation and Analysis of In-hospital Mortality in Emergency and Critical Care

We propose a novel method that uses associative classification and odds ratios to predict in-hospital mortality in emergency and critical care. Manual mortality risk scores have previously been used to assess the care needed for each patient and their need for palliative measures. Automated approaches allow providers to get a quick and objective estimation based on electronic health records. We use association rule mining to find relevant patterns in the dataset. The odds ratio is used instead of classical association rule mining metrics as a quality measure to analyze association instead of frequency. The resulting measures are used to estimate the in-hospital mortality risk. We compare two prediction models: one minimal model with socio-demographic factors that are available at the time of admission and can be provided by the patients themselves, namely gender, ethnicity, type of insurance, language, and marital status, and a full model that additionally includes clinical information like diagnoses, medication, and procedures. The method was tested and validated on MIMIC-IV, a publicly available clinical dataset. The minimal prediction model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value of 0.69, while the full prediction model achieved a value of 0.98. The models serve different purposes. The minimal model can be used as a first risk assessment based on patient-reported information. The full model expands on this and provides an updated risk assessment each time a new variable occurs in the clinical case. In addition, the rules in the models allow us to analyze the dataset based on data-backed rules. We provide several examples of interesting rules, including rules that hint at errors in the underlying data, rules that correspond to existing epidemiological research, and rules that were previously unknown and can serve as starting points for future studies.