‘Meaning for meaning’: lived experiences of medical interpreters in outpatient pediatric physical therapy sessions

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Medical interpreters play an essential role in the tetradic therapeutic alliance with children/families who have a non-English language preference (NELP) and healthcare providers. No research has yet described the experiences of interpreters collaborating with pediatric physical therapists and patients. The purpose of this study was to describe medical interpreters' experiences during outpatient pediatric physical therapy sessions. METHODS: A qualitative phenomenological methodology was used. Researchers increased trustworthiness through bracketing, member checking, triangulation, and inductive thematic analysis. Nine purposively sampled medical interpreters who work in the outpatient pediatric physical therapy setting consented to participate in virtual interviews. Main themes and associated subthemes were inductively established. RESULTS: Five themes emerged: interpreting meaning for meaning, patient-centered care, interprofessional collaboration, challenges faced by interpreters, and technology considerations. Representative quotes support each theme. Themes overlapped, showing the interconnectedness of communication within the pediatric therapeutic tetrad and the shared emotional burden of caring. CONCLUSIONS: Medical interpreters working in OPPT settings have identified positive experiences and barriers that influence interactions within the tetradic therapeutic alliance. They highlighted their contribution to the care team and expressed a desire for their profession to be better understood. Providers and interpreters could intentionally collaborate with specific strategies, and physical therapy programs could include interpreters in the communication curriculum. Enhanced understanding of the perspectives of each member of the therapeutic tetrad can guide future research directions to include patients and families, and can pave the way for improvements in cross-cultural tetradic communication to support holistic patient- and family-centered care.