Effect of Virtual Versus In Person Interpreting on Diabetes Outcomes in Non-English Language Preference Patients: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this pilot study was to explore the impact of interpreter format (virtual vs in person) on clinical outcomes in patients with non-English language preference (NELP) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a primary care setting. We hypothesized that NELP patients utilizing in person interpreters would have improved HbA1c values, better follow-up rate, and more complex care plans compared to patients utilizing virtual interpreters. METHODS: We completed a retrospective chart review of 137 NELP patients with T2DM who required a medical interpreter (February to June 2021). We calculated univariate and bivariate statistics to characterize the sample and assess the extent to which measures of continuity (follow-up visit rate and time to follow-up visit), quality (change in HbA1c), and complexity (medication intervention complexity) were associated with interpreter type. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in follow-up rate or average days to follow-up visit for NELP patients with in person as opposed to virtual interpreters. Patients with virtual interpreters demonstrated a non-statistically significant decrease in HbA1c compared to those with in person interpreters. Finally, there was no statistically significant association between interpreter format and intervention complexity. CONCLUSIONS: Quality medical interpretation contributes to optimal health outcomes in NELP patients with diabetes. Our study suggests that both in person and virtual interpreters can be effective in providing care for NELP patients, especially for chronic disease management in the context of a primary care relationship. It also highlights the importance of pursuing additional qualitative and mixed method studies to better understand the benefits of various interpreter formats across different visit types.

Draw Your Dinner: A Longitudinal Study of Perceptions of Meal Size with Different Plate Sizes.

Objectives: In this study, we examined the role of plate size in an individual's ability to draw what they had for dinner the previous evening. Methods: A sample of 199 students at one US university were given large pieces of paper with the image of a plate printed on them and asked to make an accurate drawing on the plate of what they had for dinner the previous evening once per week for 10 weeks. The sizes of the printed plates either stayed constant at 10.5 inches or 8.5 inches or started at 10.5 inches and decreased in small weekly increments to 8.5 inches. We hypothesized that participants given the changing size plates would unknowingly alter their drawn meal sizes in relation to the size of the plate offered. Results: Participants drew more food on larger plates than smaller plates. Participants given plates that decreased in size also decreased the size of their drawings and reported consuming a total of 69 square inches less food on the decreasing than the large plates. Conclusion: These findings suggest that changes in plate size may be useful in influencing food portion sizes over time when the size of the plates is decreased incrementally.