Shared Health Language Access Interpreter Services with Allana Carlyle

Lack of available language translation or interpretation can prevent people from participating in research (1-4). To design research that better reflects the diversity of the community that our research serves, it is important to tailor the recruitment approach to the needs of potential participants (1) . This includes developing strategies to support language concordance to allow for participation in a wide variety of primary languages (4).

The ENRRICH Theme aims to build a community that is motivated to achieve greater equity in research. How can Language Access help ENRRICH achieve this objective? 

Trained health interpreters can help to bridge language barriers between researchers and participants, or clinicians and families and this can make participating in research more accessible to a wider audience. Removing language barriers can:

  • enhance the safety and quality of an interaction,

  • increase understanding and patient or participant satisfaction,

  • ensure consent is truly informed,

  • improve access to research opportunities and care,

  • better protect confidential patient or participant information,

  • establish relationships, and

  • help researchers and health service providers meet professional and legal obligations.  

Language Access Interpreter Services currently employs 86 trained interpreters who provide in-person and remote (conference call/video conference) interpretation services in 34 languages including:

Amharic, Arabic, Bilen, Bosnian, Burmese, Cantonese, Croatian, Farsi (Persian), French, Hindi, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Korean, Kurdish-Kurmanji, Low German, Mandarin, Nepali, Oromo, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Serbian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese. This list is subject to change without notice, and can be found online at https://professionals.wrha.mb.ca/language-access/languages/.

What types of services are provided by Language Interpreter Services?

  1. Face-to-Face Interpreting (on-site interpreting, in-person interpreting)

    • Interpreter is in the same room as the service provider or researcher and the individual/family

  2. Conference Call Interpreting

    • Form of remote interpreting that takes place by telephone

    • Can be used to follow up with a patient/participant about their clinical session, procedure, or research related encounter or provide instruction prior to their session, procedure, or research related encounter

  3. Video Conference Interpreting

    • Form of remote interpreting using a video conference platform (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc.)

    • Can also be used for clinical or research appointments

  4. Message Relay

    • Researcher or healthcare provider sends a message to the interpreter who relays it to the patient in their language

    • Acts to ensure that the individual has understood the details of an appointment (name of research or healthcare team member, date, time, location, specific instructions, or research consent and assent procedure)

    • Can also be used to schedule appointments

  5. Reminder Call

    • Interpreter calls the individual/family prior to scheduled appointment to remind them of all relevant appointment details

  6. Over-the-Phone (OTP) Interpreter Services

    • Language Access has a formal contract with MCIS Language Solutions* in order to provide on-demand, over-the-phone interpretation in over 200 languages 24/7 when a Shared Health Language Access interpreter is otherwise unavailable

    • Most often, interpreters must be pre-authorized with a specific patient identification number and a unique single-use authorization code, and arranged by Language Access Interpreter Services

What type of qualifications do the Shared Health Language Access Interpreters have?

Language Access Interpreters meet a number of criteria, including language proficiency and interpreter skill requirements, including:

  • Passing the ILSAT or CILISAT evaluations (national standard exams for interpreter competency)

  • Successfully completing Language Access Interpreter Training (72 hours)

  • Successfully completing a criminal record check, child abuse registry check, and adult abuse registry check

  • Signing a confidentiality pledge regarding the Personal Health Information Act

  • Performing their duties in accordance with the Language Access Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for Interpreters (https://professionals.wrha.mb.ca/old/professionals/language/files/EthicsCode.pdf).

Can confidentiality be upheld when working with Language Access Interpreter Services?

Yes, the Shared Health Language Access staff interpreters have completed training on the Personal Health Information Act, have signed a confidentiality pledge, and are expected to adhere to the same strict privacy requirements as all health care employees. Over-the-phone interpreter services provided by external contractor, MCIS Language Solutions, are bound by confidentiality requirements as well.

What is the cost to hire language services?

The hourly rate for in-person Interpreter Services within Winnipeg and for remote interpretation (conference call or video conference) with a Language Access Interpreter is $55.00 per hour. More information on rates can be found here.

How does the process of hiring a Language Access Interpreter begin?

1.     First, our Services Agreement form should be completed and emailed to Allana Carlyle, Manager, Language Access, at acarlyle@sharedhealthmb.ca. This is only required once at the start of a project to identify the primary contact for billing.

2.     You may then place a request for interpreter services using our Language Access Interpreter Request form, available in printable and fillable versions here: https://professionals.wrha.mb.ca/language-access/request-form/.

3.     The request form should be emailed to languageaccess@sharedhealthmb.ca, or faxed to our office via 204-940-8650. 

4.     It may also be helpful for service providers and researchers to review our Tips for Working Effectively with Trained Interpreters before meeting with an interpreter to help shape their understanding of the interpreter role and performance expectations.

5.     Service providers and researchers are welcome to share any relevant documents (e.g., consent forms, protocols) prior to the meeting to support the interpreter in preparing applicable terminology and lexicon.

*For more information, please contact Language Access at languageaccess@sharedhealthmb.ca.


References:

1.     Barrett NJ, Rodriguez EM, Iachan R, Hyslop T, Ingraham KL, Le GM, Martin K, Haring RC, Rivadeneira NA, Erwin DO, Fish LJ, Middleton D, Hiatt RA, Patierno SR, Sarkar U, & Gage-Bouchard EA. Factors associated with biomedical research participation within community‐based samples across 3 National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Centers. Cancer. 2020;126(5):1077–89. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.32487

2.     Bird K, Yang QZ, Zeabi A, & Bissonnette S. Race, language, and technology status: How to close the gap in Parkinson’s Disease research participation. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. 2020;79:e80–e80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parkreldis.2020.06.292

3.     Damron L, Litvan I, Bayram E, Berk S, Siddiqi B, & Shill H. Hispanic perspectives on Parkinson’s Disease care and research participation. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2021;81(2):809–819. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-210231

4.     Hildebrand J, Billimek J, Olshansky EF, Sorkin DH, Lee JA, & Evangelista LS. Facilitators and barriers to research participation: perspectives on Latinos with type 2 diabetes. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing: Journal of the Working Group on Cardiovascular Nursing of the European Society of Cardiology. 2018;17(8):737–741. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474515118780895

About the author

Since 2015 Allana has led the Language Access Interpreter Service program with Shared Health, Manitoba’s provincial health authority and service delivery organization. In this role, Allana is responsible for the development, implementation and management of the professional interpreter service, including policy development, best practices guidelines and inter-sectoral service provider communication and education across the province.  Allana initially joined the Language Access team in 2008 when she completed her professional interpreter training and was hired as an English-French Health Interpreter.

 Allana participates as an Expert on the International Standards Organization (ISO) Technical Committee 37/SC 5 “Translation, Interpreting and Related Technology”.  She is the Chair of the Provincial Language Access Advisory Committee and Chair of the Manitoba Government’s Interdepartmental Working Group for Interpreter Services. Allana is committed to the continued provision of high-quality, professional interpreter services for all language constituencies in Manitoba in order to support safety, equity and accessibility for all.

Brittany Curtis