Communicating with Limited English Patients Via a Language Interpreter

Pharmacists are a vital part of patient health management. The role of the pharmacist has adapted and changed based on the needs of the communities they serve. A 2015 U.S. Census Bureau reports that there are at least 350 Languages used in U.S. homes, requiring pharmacists to be able to overcome language barriers to deliver patient-centered care. The current landscape suggests that pharmacists lack the knowledge of available resources and lack of confidence to incorporate these resources into their daily practice. By completing this continuing education training program, pharmacists should be able to provide better care to limited-English proficient (LEP) patients by incorporating best practices that are explained in depth. This can help improve quality of care, reduce the chance of medication errors, and contribute to improving health literacy. This training lends itself to the overall discussion of cultural competency and health literacy among LEP patients. This module also includes an opportunity to participate in a research survey - to learn more, pay close attention to the program description available when you log-in to our CE portal.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, the participant should be able to:

• Identify how effective interpreter use in practice can impact patient care.
• Explain legal requirements for language and interpreter services and apply them to the clinical setting.
• Establish ‘best practices’ for communicating with patients via a language interpreter including setting ground rules, cultural awareness, and communication tips.
• Recognize the role of pharmacists in delivering culturally competent, linguistically appropriate patient care when utilizing interpreter services to communicate with ELP patients.

Presenters

Patsy Casalino, PharmD
Patsy Casalino is a post-doctoral fellow at MCPHS University and Biogen. Patsy received his Doctor of Pharmacy from MCPHS University – Boston campus in 2018. At Biogen, Patsy is part of Regulatory Sciences/Safety and Benefit-Risk Management fellowship program which provides him with the opportunity to gain experience across a variety of therapeutic areas and functions. In addition, Patsy serves as an adjunct faculty member at MCPHS University where he participates in teaching activities and is the MCPHS Fellow’s Network (MFN) President for the 2019-2020 fellowship year.

Hannah Hoseyni, PharmD
Hannah Hoseyni is a post-doctoral fellow at MCPHS University and Biogen. Hannah received her Doctor of Pharmacy from University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in 2019. Hannah is part of the Global Regulatory Sciences fellowship program, which provides the opportunity to gain experience working with US, Global early phase and Global late phase regulatory science teams across therapeutic areas. In addition, Hannah serves as an adjunct faculty member at MCPHS University where she will participate in teaching activities.

Lori Yeterian, PharmD, RPh
Lori Yeterian is a post-doctoral fellow at MCPHS University and Biogen. Lori received her Doctor of Pharmacy from MCPHS University – Boston campus in 2018. As a fellow at Biogen, Lori has worked in Regulatory, Medical Affairs, and Drug Safety. Lori has also served as a preceptor for pharmacy students completing their experiential rotations at Biogen.

Registration Fee: This module is provided free of charge.

Release Date: December 6, 2019
Expiration Date: December 6, 2022
Contact Hours: 1.0 (0.1 CEU)
ACPE UAN: 0026-0000-19-017-H05-P
ACPE Topic Designator: Patient Safety