Medical Student Experience with Interpreter Services in a Simulated Environment: A Scoping Review

The use of interpreter services is an important component of medical care. It is critical for medical students to practice this during training. It is known that simulation and role play provide important opportunities for students to practice skills. This scoping review maps the experience that medical students around the world have practicing with interpreter services in a simulated environment. We searched within three major databases (PubMed, ERIC, and SCOPUS) using a wide range of search terms for publications from the past 15 years. This scoping review was conducted according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Of the 1341 studies initially obtained from search terms, 22 were ultimately found to meet inclusion criteria. There is variability in curricula offered including when in medical school, what other specialties are involved, and how the education is conveyed. Most publications lacked longitudinal follow-up and assessment of learner competence was limited. Review articles, a prevalence study, and proof of concept studies also serve to demonstrate the breadth of publications on this subject. This is an area of important consideration within medical education today. Many studies highlight the relative scarcity of formal programs as well as a lack of consistency. Where programs do exist, the importance of including simulation is highlighted.