Interpreter use in Nordic paediatric oncology care – a multicentre cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background and purpose: Tailored, language-appropriate information is fundamental for children and their families in paediatric oncology, influencing both the quality of care and clinical outcomes. Yet, for families who speak another language, interpreter services are not used to the extent necessary to ensure equitable and patient-safe communication. Knowledge about how healthcare professionals (HCPs) (registered nurses [RNs] and medical doctors [MDs]) experience and manage interpreter use is limited. To address this gap, this study aimed to explore the obstacles to interpreter use in Nordic paediatric oncology care and to examine the challenges HCPs experience during interpreter‑mediated conversations.
Participants/materials and methods: A cross-sectional multicentre survey study involving 453 RNs and MDs from 20 paediatric oncology centres across the Nordic region. The Communication over Language Barriers Questionnaire was used in each country’s majority language. Descriptive and non-parametric analyses were used to summarise and compare the data between countries and professions. Group differences were tested using Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher–Freeman–Halton exact tests, with p < 0.05 considered significant.
Results: Time constraints in acute but also in planned care situations were identified as the most common obstacles to interpreter use. In addition, when using interpreters, the respondents sometimes or often experienced challenges such as uncertainty about the accuracy of the interpretation and about patients’ understanding of the given information.
Interpretation: To ensure equitable, safe, and person‑centred care for children and their families, there is an emergent need for improved communication strategies and a need for better organisational support, easier interpreter access, and stronger systems for quality-assured interpreter services across the Nordic region.