Purpose: To examine the disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes for Limited English Proficient (LEP) mothers and the possible positive impact of interpreters.
Background: Previous labor and delivery LEP studies have identified several health disparities that persisted when controlling for racial/ethnic differences. This retrospective study examines the disparity in outcomes between LEP mothers and their English proficient counterparts with regards to Adverse Outcome Index (AOI) events. In addition, the possible protective effect of interpreters is discussed.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study (2015-2019) examining the maternal and neonatal health outcomes (AOIs) for 1) English Proficient mothers (Nf11,273), 2) LEP mothers (Nf913) and 3) LEP mothers flagged for needing interpretation (Nf591). “Interpreter-flagged” indicates those who requested an interpreter but is not indicative of what they were ultimately offered
Results: LEP mothers were significantly more likely to have an AOI event than English-proficient mothers (p = .004). LEP mothers who were flagged as requiring an interpreter were significantly more likely to have an AOI event than mothers who were not (p = .045). LEP mothers who were not flagged as needing an interpreter were not more likely to have an AOI event than those who were flagged as needing an interpreter (p =.691).
Discussions: Our data show that LEP mothers and their infants experience increased AOI events compared to their English-proficient counterparts. The usage of \'interpreter-flagged\' in our analyses limits our ability to retrospectively assess the protective effect of interpreters.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2022, Student, Resident, Faculty, Clerkship Director, Clerkship Coordinator, Residency Director, Residency Coordinator, Patient Care, Systems-Based Practice & Improvement, Practice-Based Learning & Improvement, GME, CME, UME, Quality & Safety, Advocacy, General Ob-Gyn,
Valerie Melson, Medical Student, Mayo Clinic; Benjamin Gorman, Medical Student; Sanjna Rajput, Medical Student; Caitlin VanLith, Medical Student; Lauren Lu, Medical Student; Leslie Carranza, MD
