CPSBC’s newest episode of the Connecting the Dots podcast is now available. This episode features an interview with Dr. Mei-Ling Wiedmeyer, a family physician and clinical assistant professor in the UBC department of family practice, on the importance of language interpretation in health care.
Dr. Wiedmeyer works for the Umbrella Multicultural Health Co-op, a community health centre that uses a novel team-based care model with cross cultural health brokers to provide comprehensive primary care to refugees, immigrants and migrant populations. She is also the co-principal investigator of the Evaluating Inequities in Refugee and Immigrants’ Health Access Project, which uses qualitative interviews and administrative data to understand health-care access in BC’s immigrant and refugee populations.
This topic addresses important issues for patient care and draws on principles in the Access to Medical Care without Discrimination and Consent to Treatment practice standards. Additionally, CPSBC has heard from registrants and members of the public about challenges in accessing adequate interpretation when English is not a patient’s primary language. Without adequate interpretation, patient safety and care can be directly impacted. A found that there is a low uptake in the use of interpretation services by family physicians in the province, despite it being a free service. As a reminder, is available to all registrants, free of charge, and the ºÚÁÏÉç strongly encourages its use.
Earlier episodes of Connecting the Dots can be found . New episodes will be also announced in the ºÚÁÏÉç Connector or by email.
Questions or feedback about Connecting the Dots can be directed to communications@cpsbc.ca.