Innovative kit which translates 240 languages at the touch of a button now available at UHDB
Innovative technology that allows for 240 languages to be translated at the touch of button, is improving patient experience and reducing appointment cancellations at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton.
The Trust has introduced the pioneering new machines, which provides immediate translation using real life interpreters, around the clock, offering enhanced patient care and experience for patients using hospital services 24 hours a day.
The kit is provided by LanguageLine, which is already used as a provider of in-person interpreters at the Trust, alongside British Sign Language providers 'Communication Unlimited' and 'Staffordshire Assist' which offers support at the community hospitals. Patients and visitors who require sign language support can also access 'Sign Live' which offers British sign language interpreting on demand, in our emergency departments.
Despite translation tools already being in place at the hospital sites, unavoidable delays for both patients and translators saw an increased number of appointment cancellations. This prompted the Estates and Facilities team, led by Nicola Wigley, to look at new ways to offer patient-centred language and translating services.
As Nicola explains, the other translation aids will still be offered at the Trust, but the LanguageLine kit offers a timely and efficient option for colleagues to use when seeing patients who do not speak English as their first language.
Nicola said: "We are a busy hospital and people can often get delayed, whether that’s the interpreter or the patients, but when that happens sometimes the appointment cannot go ahead which is really frustrating for our patients and has an impact on our waiting lists and patient satisfaction.
"Using this allows us to be responsive without having to reschedule an appointment if there is no translator available. By utilising this new equipment we can ensure we continue to deliver care to patients who speak an alternative language who arrive as an emergency."
The rollout began with a trial in the emergency, antenatal and endoscopy departments and the response was 'phenomenal' with positive feedback from both patients and staff about the difference it made to patient experience and running services more efficiently, leading to more than 20 more machines ordered for use across the Trust.
Nicola said: "We chose to trial them in the Antenatal and Endoscopy outpatient areas after studying data which suggested those departments had a heavy use of translation services and high numbers of cancelled appointments.
"It means that if an interpreter has been booked for a patient and they are unable to get here, the patient is still able to have the appointment and get all of the information they need using the readily available translator. If a department has one of the machines they can choose to use it instead of booking a translator to avoid any cancellations.
"Even very early results are showing that the number of cancelled appointments have reduced."
Nicola said the implementation of the technology allows for equity and equality for all patients who come through the doors of our hospitals.
Nicola added: "We know that for some people, it can be scary going to hospital and this is one of the ways to break that barrier and comfort anxious patients who might normally find it difficult to attend appointments because of a language barrier.
"The reason it has been successful and staff love it is because it is so easy to use. It is secure and is already very popular with patients, staff and visitors.
"It's such a helpful tool. We think this technology will make a huge difference to those who require translation and give much needed confidence when breaking down language barriers when visiting our hospitals."
The technology offers audio and video calls with a live translator, takes 60 seconds to connect the call and is available at any time of day or night.