The Unspoken Dilemma: Disparities in Resident Interactions with Patients with Limited English Proficiency

Background: Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) experience worse health outcomes compared to fluent English speakers. Although the use of interpretation services helps mitigate these disparities, it has been well documented that these resources are underutilized. Residents are often the front-line communicators with patients with LEP. However, the frequency of and barriers to resident use of interpreter services have not been well-characterized. Objective: Our objectives were (1) to characterize resident behaviors regarding interpreter use …