Working experiences of remote interpreters in health care settings—insights from Austria and Germany
BackgroundThe rise in linguistically diverse patient populations has introduced significant challenges in healthcare due to language barriers. Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) has emerged as a cost-effective solution in healthcare settings. However, its impact on interpreters, particularly the specif...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1477965/full |
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| author | Sophie Klomfar Sophie Klomfar Anna Teufel Gernot Gerger Maria Kletečka-Pulker Maria Kletečka-Pulker Klara Doppler Klara Doppler Magdalena Eitenberger Magdalena Eitenberger Sabine Völkl-Kernstock Sabine Völkl-Kernstock |
| author_facet | Sophie Klomfar Sophie Klomfar Anna Teufel Gernot Gerger Maria Kletečka-Pulker Maria Kletečka-Pulker Klara Doppler Klara Doppler Magdalena Eitenberger Magdalena Eitenberger Sabine Völkl-Kernstock Sabine Völkl-Kernstock |
| author_sort | Sophie Klomfar |
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| description | BackgroundThe rise in linguistically diverse patient populations has introduced significant challenges in healthcare due to language barriers. Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) has emerged as a cost-effective solution in healthcare settings. However, its impact on interpreters, particularly the specific enabling and hindering factors from their point of view remains underexplored. For example, in some studies, VRI interpreters report higher stress and job dissatisfaction. We hypothesize that interpreters’ work experience and supervision attendance mitigate negative effects. We tested this hypothesis using a quantitative approach. Additionally, we analyzed qualitative data to uncover more enabling and hindering factors.MethodsA sample of 87 interpreters working in Austria and Germany was included in this multi-methods study. Stress, job dissatisfaction, work experience, and supervision were analyzed using correlations and group comparisons. Responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using thematic content analysis to identify enabling and hindering factors, with network analysis exploring their interconnections.ResultsLonger work experience correlated with lower stress. Supervision had no significant effect on stress or job satisfaction. Thematic content analysis identified 21 factors affecting VRI: While VRI enhances efficiency and emotional distance, interpreters face technical problems and difficulties arising from the lack of physical presence. Network analysis confirmed that VRI settings are characterized by a close interplay between these enabling and hindering factors.DiscussionStrategies for using VRI can be derived from these data. VRI is an efficient alternative to in-person interpreting, with challenges that can be mitigated. Training healthcare personnel in handling VRI and optimizing VRI conditions can contribute to better healthcare outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aaff69456457447a846913b26f174622 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-aaff69456457447a846913b26f1746222025-02-10T12:00:22ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-02-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.14779651477965Working experiences of remote interpreters in health care settings—insights from Austria and GermanySophie Klomfar0Sophie Klomfar1Anna Teufel2Gernot Gerger3Maria Kletečka-Pulker4Maria Kletečka-Pulker5Klara Doppler6Klara Doppler7Magdalena Eitenberger8Magdalena Eitenberger9Sabine Völkl-Kernstock10Sabine Völkl-Kernstock11Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaClinical Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergology and Endocrinology, University Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaLudwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaLudwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaLudwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaInstitute for Ethics and Law in Medicine, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaLudwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaInstitute for Ethics and Law in Medicine, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaLudwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaInstitute for Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaLudwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaBackgroundThe rise in linguistically diverse patient populations has introduced significant challenges in healthcare due to language barriers. Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) has emerged as a cost-effective solution in healthcare settings. However, its impact on interpreters, particularly the specific enabling and hindering factors from their point of view remains underexplored. For example, in some studies, VRI interpreters report higher stress and job dissatisfaction. We hypothesize that interpreters’ work experience and supervision attendance mitigate negative effects. We tested this hypothesis using a quantitative approach. Additionally, we analyzed qualitative data to uncover more enabling and hindering factors.MethodsA sample of 87 interpreters working in Austria and Germany was included in this multi-methods study. Stress, job dissatisfaction, work experience, and supervision were analyzed using correlations and group comparisons. Responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using thematic content analysis to identify enabling and hindering factors, with network analysis exploring their interconnections.ResultsLonger work experience correlated with lower stress. Supervision had no significant effect on stress or job satisfaction. Thematic content analysis identified 21 factors affecting VRI: While VRI enhances efficiency and emotional distance, interpreters face technical problems and difficulties arising from the lack of physical presence. Network analysis confirmed that VRI settings are characterized by a close interplay between these enabling and hindering factors.DiscussionStrategies for using VRI can be derived from these data. VRI is an efficient alternative to in-person interpreting, with challenges that can be mitigated. Training healthcare personnel in handling VRI and optimizing VRI conditions can contribute to better healthcare outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1477965/fullvideo remote interpretationmedical interpretingstressjob dissatisfactionlanguage barrierquantitative methods |
| spellingShingle | Sophie Klomfar Sophie Klomfar Anna Teufel Gernot Gerger Maria Kletečka-Pulker Maria Kletečka-Pulker Klara Doppler Klara Doppler Magdalena Eitenberger Magdalena Eitenberger Sabine Völkl-Kernstock Sabine Völkl-Kernstock Working experiences of remote interpreters in health care settings—insights from Austria and Germany Frontiers in Public Health video remote interpretation medical interpreting stress job dissatisfaction language barrier quantitative methods |
| title | Working experiences of remote interpreters in health care settings—insights from Austria and Germany |
| title_full | Working experiences of remote interpreters in health care settings—insights from Austria and Germany |
| title_fullStr | Working experiences of remote interpreters in health care settings—insights from Austria and Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Working experiences of remote interpreters in health care settings—insights from Austria and Germany |
| title_short | Working experiences of remote interpreters in health care settings—insights from Austria and Germany |
| title_sort | working experiences of remote interpreters in health care settings insights from austria and germany |
| topic | video remote interpretation medical interpreting stress job dissatisfaction language barrier quantitative methods |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1477965/full |
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