HEAR 2 Interpretation services for Refugees & Asylum Seekers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
HEAR 2 Health Experiences of Asylum seekers and Refugees: how well are their interpretation needs met?
IRAS ID
290877
Contact name
Gillian Richardson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Public Health Wales
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, months, days
Research summary
People who are classified as Asylum Seekers or Refugees in the UK are entitled to NHS health care, which includes interpretation services for their language needs. There has been very little research on this topic, but preliminary studies have reported that interpretation is often not offered nor provided in the best language for the individual. Interpretation is often provided during consultations by family members or friends, but this has been highlighted as poor practice, particularly in some conditions such as mental or sexual health. One of the key findings of the recent HEAR study (Health Experiences of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Wales), carried out by this research team, was the need to improve interpretation within healthcare provision for Asylum Seekers and Refugees.
In the proposed study we aim to do two things:
1) Provide information about demand and patient experience, and evaluate the quality of interpretation services delivered in primary and emergency care in Wales
2) Assess the feasibility of a comprehensive evaluation of interpretation services in these settings across the UK, including a description of currently commissioned interpretation servicesResearch plan: We will use mixed methods to meet our study aims.
We will start with a consultation workshop to define key elements of effective interpretation services, identify important outcomes, and understand how interpretation achieves those outcomes. We will then test two methods for collecting data from patients from this community: a postal survey from their healthcare provider with translated questionnaires available; and an approach using ‘peer researchers’ – themselves Asylum Seekers or Refugees - to administer questionnaires in the community settings. We will assess the quality of interpretation provided in participating sites.
We will interview people who act as lead for patient experience from each participating service and carry out focus groups or interviews with doctors, nurses, paramedics, and managers from participating services as well as providers of interpretation. We will carry out an online survey of NHS commissioners to understand what service models are in place across the UK for the provision of interpretation. Finally, we will assess the quality of data available to identify this population, so that we can assess the feasibility of a full evaluation of interpretation services in primary and emergency care across the UK.
We have worked closely with members of the Asylum Seeker and Refugee population and their advocates in Wales during the initial HEAR study, and in the development of this application. We will continue to involve them as partners throughout the proposed research, as members of the Research Management Group, Public Advisory Group and peer researchers.
This study will help to improve the care that this extremely vulnerable group receives, by describing current need and services offered. In addition, if we demonstrate feasibility, we will develop and submit a proposal to the National Institute of Health Research, to carry out a large-scale comprehensive evaluation of interpretation services in primary and emergency healthcare across the UK.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/PR/0743
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jul 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion