Understanding language barriers within patient portals: workarounds and opportunities for Spanish-speaking caregivers

TL;DR

Spanish-speaking caregivers face challenges using patient portals due to translation barriers and rely on workarounds that can be risky and inequitable.

Contribution

The study identifies caregivers' reliance on machine translation and family members, highlighting the need for better integrated translation solutions in patient portals.

Findings

Caregivers use online machine translation tools, which are often inaccurate and time-consuming.

Caregivers depend on children and family members for translation, which can lead to comprehension issues.

There is a strong interest in timely and accurate translation features within patient portals to improve accessibility.

Abstract

To explore how Spanish-speaking caregivers navigate translation barriers in patient portals and to assess their perspectives on improving language accessibility.

This qualitative study was conducted at a pediatric academic health system. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Spanish-speaking caregivers of children with chronic conditions, and inductive thematic analysis was used to generate themes.

Twenty caregivers participated. Three key themes emerged: (1) Caregivers rely on online machine translation tools, which can be inaccurate and time-consuming; (2) Caregivers frequently depend on children and family members for translation, raising concerns about comprehension and appropriateness; (3) Caregivers expressed strong interest in timely and accurate translation features within patient portals to enhance accessibility.

Spanish-speaking caregivers develop workarounds to access medical information, but these strategies pose risks to patient safety and exacerbate digital health inequities. While AI-powered machine translation offers a potential solution, concerns about accuracy, regulatory compliance, and equitable implementation must be addressed.

Spanish-speaking caregivers face significant challenges in accessing health information through patient portals. Health systems should prioritize integrated translation solutions, leveraging AI-driven tools while ensuring accuracy and equitable implementation to improve language accessibility.