Health Promoter and Patient Navigator Training

on the Health Care System and Patient/Clinician Communication (2005-2007)

Building on the results of the Consumer Health Education project (described below), PALS for Health and its ALAS para tu Salud project partnered with Alice Chen, MD and Doreena Wong, JD to develop a train the trainers for health promoters (promotoras) and patient navigators.  Funded by an Office of Minority Health Bilingual Bicultural Service Demonstration Grant, this training provides an overview of the United States medical system, the importance of accurate health care communication, interpreter roles and why family and friends should not be used as interpreters, how to effectively use trained interpreters, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Upon completion of the half-day training, health promoters and patient navigators will share pertinent information with their limited English proficient (LEP) community members in a group or one-on-one setting.  The translated "I Speak" card with a brief appointment preparation checklist will be also be shared with training participants for distribution to LEP persons.

• Cantonese "I Speak" card with Appointment Preparation Checklist (PDF format, 217kb)
• Korean "I Speak" card with Appointment Preparation Checklist (PDF format, 199kb)
• Mandarin "I Speak" card with Appointment Preparation Checklist (PDF format, 216kb)
• Spanish "I Speak" card with Appointment Preparation Checklist (PDF format, 178kb)
• Thai "I Speak" card with Appointment Preparation Checklist (PDF format, 179kb)

Translation of appointment preparation checklist:

Important things to remember before & during your appointment

- Ask for an interpreter when you are making your appointment

- Ask your doctor to write your spoken language in your chart

- Write down any questions for your doctor before your appointment

- Ask your questions at the start of your appointment

- Ask for an interpreter when scheduling your follow-up appointment

Our community partners include Visión y Compromiso, MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity) Clinic, and Partnered for Progress. If you have any questions about this health promoter and patient navigator training project or this version of the "I Speak" card, please call Mireya Muñoz at 213-627-4850 (e-mail mireyam@palsforhealth.org).

Consumer Health Education and "I  Speak" Cards (2000-2003)

The goal of this 3-year project, which was funded by The California Endowment, was to raise awareness of language rights among health consumers living in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties. Many limited English proficient (LEP) health consumers are afraid to exercise their language rights for fear of retribution, and many do not have the language capability to say, "I need an interpreter for my health care appointment." In order to support LEP consumers' access to health care interpreters PALS for Health collaborated with several community-based organizations that have long established relationships with target ethnic groups to conduct a 30-minute workshop where health consumers were educated about:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• their legal right to request interpretation services from health care facilities;
• roles and responsibility of health care facilities that accept federal financial assistance; and
• how to use the language identification card ("I Speak" card)

This version of the "I Speak" card was developed as a tool for both the health consumer and health care staff. The purpose of this "I Speak" card was to enable the patient to ask for an interpreter him/herself, help health care staff immediately identify the language spoken by the patient, educate health care staff about Title VI, and the patient's need for an interpreter.

The collaborative partnership included:

In addition, workshop participants were asked to answer a survey once they had used the "I Speak" card at a health care facility. The survey was developed and analyzed by Dr. Sora Park-Tanjasiri, a researcher at the University of California, Irvine. 

"I Speak" Card User Survey (PDF format, 208kb)

Results demonstrated that a majority of participants did not know they could ask for interpretation services at health care facilities. When respondents received interpretation services from the facility for the first time, they received faster service, and were treated better. However, more respondents were refused interpretation services than those who received them.  After showing the PALS for Health "I Speak" card to health care staff, survey respondents reported that -

• they were immediately refused access to interpretation services;
• they received interpretation services but were made to feel like second class citizens;
• they were told no interpreters were available so they can either reschedule or go to the appointment without one; or
• they had to wait a long time for an interpreter to be available, and feared retaliation by health care staff.

If  you have any questions about this project or this version of the "I Speak" card, please call Mireya Muñoz at 213-627-4850 or e-mail her at mireyam@palsforhealth.org.

The results of this 3-year project and the participant survey will be presented during a poster presentation at the 5th National Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations, October 17-20, 2006. Website http://www.diversityrx.org/CCCONF/06/index.html