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According to the 2015 US Census Bureau, more than 60 million individuals—about 19% of Americans—reported speaking a language other than English at home, and more than 25 million reported their English-speaking ability as less than “very well.” The top five non-English languages spoken at home were Spanish, French, Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, encompassing 72% of non-English speakers. 1,2
In the health care sector, translator services are essential for providing accurate and culturally competent care. Current options for translator services include face-to-face interpreters, phone-based translator services, and translator apps on mobile devices. In settings where face-to-face interpreters or phone-based translator services are not available, translator apps may be a reasonable alternative.
THREE TYPES OF TRANSLATOR APPS
Preset medical phrase translator apps require the user to search for or find a question or statement in order to facilitate a conversation. With these types of apps, a health care provider can choose fully conjugated sentences, which then can be played or read back to the patient in the chosen translated language. Within this group of apps, Canopy Speak and Universal Doctor Speaker are highly accessible, since both apps are available from the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores and both are free.
Medical dictionary apps require the user to search for a medical term in one language to receive a translation in another language. These apps are less practical, but they can help providers find and define specific terms in a given language.
General language translator apps require the user to enter a term, statement, or question in one language and then provide a translation in another language. Google Translate and Vocre Translate are examples.
Recommended apps
My colleagues, Dr. Amrin Khander and Dr. Sara Farag, and I identified and evaluated medical translator apps that are available from the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores, to aid clinicians in using such apps during clinical encounters with non-English speakers.3
The top recommended translator apps are listed in the table, evaluated with criteria from a shortened version of the APPLICATIONS scoring system: app comprehensiveness, price, platform, literature use, and important special features.4 We hope these tools will help you enhance communication with your patients who have limited English proficiency.
1. United States Census Bureau. Detailed language spoken at home and ability to speak English for the population 5 years and over: 2009–2013. www.census.gov/data/tables/2013/demo/2009-2013-lang-tables.html. Accessed November 1, 2017.
2. United States Census Bureau. U.S. and world population clock. www.census.gov/popclock/?intcmp=home_pop. Accessed November 1, 2017.
3. Khander A, Farag S, Chen KT. Identification and rating of medical translator mobile applications using the APPLICATIONS scoring system [abstract 321]. Obstet Gynecol. 2017;129(5 suppl):101S.
4. Chyjek K, Farag S, Chen KT. Rating pregnancy wheel applications using the APPLICATIONS scoring system. Obstet Gynecol. 2015;125(6):1478-1483.
According to the 2015 US Census Bureau, more than 60 million individuals—about 19% of Americans—reported speaking a language other than English at home, and more than 25 million reported their English-speaking ability as less than “very well.” The top five non-English languages spoken at home were Spanish, French, Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, encompassing 72% of non-English speakers. 1,2
In the health care sector, translator services are essential for providing accurate and culturally competent care. Current options for translator services include face-to-face interpreters, phone-based translator services, and translator apps on mobile devices. In settings where face-to-face interpreters or phone-based translator services are not available, translator apps may be a reasonable alternative.
THREE TYPES OF TRANSLATOR APPS
Preset medical phrase translator apps require the user to search for or find a question or statement in order to facilitate a conversation. With these types of apps, a health care provider can choose fully conjugated sentences, which then can be played or read back to the patient in the chosen translated language. Within this group of apps, Canopy Speak and Universal Doctor Speaker are highly accessible, since both apps are available from the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores and both are free.
Medical dictionary apps require the user to search for a medical term in one language to receive a translation in another language. These apps are less practical, but they can help providers find and define specific terms in a given language.
General language translator apps require the user to enter a term, statement, or question in one language and then provide a translation in another language. Google Translate and Vocre Translate are examples.
Recommended apps
My colleagues, Dr. Amrin Khander and Dr. Sara Farag, and I identified and evaluated medical translator apps that are available from the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores, to aid clinicians in using such apps during clinical encounters with non-English speakers.3
The top recommended translator apps are listed in the table, evaluated with criteria from a shortened version of the APPLICATIONS scoring system: app comprehensiveness, price, platform, literature use, and important special features.4 We hope these tools will help you enhance communication with your patients who have limited English proficiency.
According to the 2015 US Census Bureau, more than 60 million individuals—about 19% of Americans—reported speaking a language other than English at home, and more than 25 million reported their English-speaking ability as less than “very well.” The top five non-English languages spoken at home were Spanish, French, Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, encompassing 72% of non-English speakers. 1,2
In the health care sector, translator services are essential for providing accurate and culturally competent care. Current options for translator services include face-to-face interpreters, phone-based translator services, and translator apps on mobile devices. In settings where face-to-face interpreters or phone-based translator services are not available, translator apps may be a reasonable alternative.
THREE TYPES OF TRANSLATOR APPS
Preset medical phrase translator apps require the user to search for or find a question or statement in order to facilitate a conversation. With these types of apps, a health care provider can choose fully conjugated sentences, which then can be played or read back to the patient in the chosen translated language. Within this group of apps, Canopy Speak and Universal Doctor Speaker are highly accessible, since both apps are available from the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores and both are free.
Medical dictionary apps require the user to search for a medical term in one language to receive a translation in another language. These apps are less practical, but they can help providers find and define specific terms in a given language.
General language translator apps require the user to enter a term, statement, or question in one language and then provide a translation in another language. Google Translate and Vocre Translate are examples.
Recommended apps
My colleagues, Dr. Amrin Khander and Dr. Sara Farag, and I identified and evaluated medical translator apps that are available from the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores, to aid clinicians in using such apps during clinical encounters with non-English speakers.3
The top recommended translator apps are listed in the table, evaluated with criteria from a shortened version of the APPLICATIONS scoring system: app comprehensiveness, price, platform, literature use, and important special features.4 We hope these tools will help you enhance communication with your patients who have limited English proficiency.
1. United States Census Bureau. Detailed language spoken at home and ability to speak English for the population 5 years and over: 2009–2013. www.census.gov/data/tables/2013/demo/2009-2013-lang-tables.html. Accessed November 1, 2017.
2. United States Census Bureau. U.S. and world population clock. www.census.gov/popclock/?intcmp=home_pop. Accessed November 1, 2017.
3. Khander A, Farag S, Chen KT. Identification and rating of medical translator mobile applications using the APPLICATIONS scoring system [abstract 321]. Obstet Gynecol. 2017;129(5 suppl):101S.
4. Chyjek K, Farag S, Chen KT. Rating pregnancy wheel applications using the APPLICATIONS scoring system. Obstet Gynecol. 2015;125(6):1478-1483.
1. United States Census Bureau. Detailed language spoken at home and ability to speak English for the population 5 years and over: 2009–2013. www.census.gov/data/tables/2013/demo/2009-2013-lang-tables.html. Accessed November 1, 2017.
2. United States Census Bureau. U.S. and world population clock. www.census.gov/popclock/?intcmp=home_pop. Accessed November 1, 2017.
3. Khander A, Farag S, Chen KT. Identification and rating of medical translator mobile applications using the APPLICATIONS scoring system [abstract 321]. Obstet Gynecol. 2017;129(5 suppl):101S.
4. Chyjek K, Farag S, Chen KT. Rating pregnancy wheel applications using the APPLICATIONS scoring system. Obstet Gynecol. 2015;125(6):1478-1483.