Methods to train and evaluate clinical communication skills of medical professionals and medical interpreters

Abstract

There is increasing recognition of the importance of communication through medical interpreters in medical care provision for foreigners. However, there is no established method for developing the communication skills of medical interpreters. This literature review summarized methods of communication skills training and evaluation for medical professionals, and investigated the applicability of such methods to medical interpreters. A literature review was performed according to the process described in the PRISMA-S (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Literature Search Extension), a guideline for systematic reviews in healthcare. Analysis of the extracted articles showed that 13 articles described original communication skills training programs for medical professionals, and 5 articles described pre-existing programs. A common evaluation method was the comparison of questionnaire survey responses before and after training. The results were used to identify key recommendations for future directions in establishing methods for developing the communication skills of medical interpreters. Most studies were on CST programs for oncology, and most used in-person training programs. This review clarified currently used methods of training and evaluating the clinical communication skills of medical professionals, and their potential applicability to medical interpreters. The findings indicate the need to develop communication skills training programs tailored to situations that medical interpreters encounter in their work.