Hello lovely people
I just thought i’ll put this out there as its been recently asked. Who’s using interpreting apps? What are you using?
I’ve linked a previous convo about this in 2019 - and thought - any updated thoughts to ‘Listen Please’? any other apps since? Interpreting apps
Thanks in advance
Char
We (the people I work with) don’t use any interpreting apps but it is so highly needed. The discussion around Listen Please looks good but I can’t seem to find it online or in the App store.
Does anyone have a link for it? For those who have used this in a clinical setting, how was the funding achieved?
I hear ChatGPT is now the app they use. Anyone else? Any feedback would be good, or point the admins my way. 
Char
My current clinical practice (mostly private anaesthesia in a predominantly Pakeha population) means that this doesn’t crop up very often for me at the moment.
This must be very different in public, and in other parts of the country where there is more diversity. I’d love to know what to reach for when it does crop up! There certainly seem to be a few available at present. I’m intrigued to know how good a job ChatGPT can do, and how this is done at the practical level.
What medical translation tools have other @clinicians found helpful here in NZ?
I hear that it is better than Google Translate… But I want to hear it from clinicians who actually do the do!~
Hi @charlt , We’re not using it much in public here but Heidi has been approved by HNZ for use. I know that it’s also being used quite a bit in primary care.I also know Steve Earnshaw is trying to get it into clinical use at Wairarapa and he’s also using Otter. Jon Herries also developed one for HNZ. Not sure if that’s helpful.
Thanks @karenshaw .
Yes, I’m with the team (HealthX) trialling Heidi in EDs around the country 
, and yes, Primary care helped lead the charge to get ambient scribes into the hospital. (YAY!)
I have seen the paid Otter used in some general meetings & workshops… and the transcribe is not as good. Seeing that it is not super cheap and that it is mostly used as a transcription-type app, I felt it could have done better.
I’m also using Jon’s Tuhi in Te Whatu Ora. Its pretty good considering that its without the bells and whistles, when you get the templates set up.
This is helpful, as it’s nice to know what else is used. Thank you for your reply! 
Cheers!
Char
From a UK perspective, Cardmedic (https://www.cardmedic.com/) is usually the product that gets talked about in the translation/interpretation/accessibility space. No idea if they are being used in Australasia as yet, but it is a widely used product in the UK. Initially, they had scripts in different languages for common clinical scenarios, but they’ve since expanded to include live translation and sign language and are increasingly also integrating with human interpreter workflows. Happy to do some intros if of use! Daf
In general medicine I use standard iPhone translation apps Google, Apple and/or Microsoft.
How well it works depends on both staff and patient, delirium a problem.
They are all good and getting better. Works best when patient has own device, i.e. two devices so each of us have own screen. Passing back and forth when patient on a gurney in ED corridor not ideal. And I’ve not yet established a good habit for standard bedside use. I’m wondering if we should have a spare phone or iPad for this purpose.
Last time I was on I had russian, korean and mandarin speaking patients. Family members often end up interpreting and sometimes other staff e.g. my last registrar speaks cantonese.
My patients need plain language, why use anything different to the commercial apps? A cheap smart phone with a default translation app for the department kept in our admitting area might be a good investment.
I’ve used human interpreters via phone or in person - funnily enough there can still be potential privacy issues if an uncommon language/very small pool of interpreters.
Are you using Heidi for medical translation (i.e. interpreting languages) during the consultations as part of this?
This is a very good point (have encountered this issue), and a real advantage of AI over human translation - especially in small town NZ!
Thanks Dafydd, I might circle back to you. I’m just information gathering at the moment.
Cheers
Char
Thanks @Matt_Doogue Good feedback. There are a range of preferences depending on the language needed. A real plus for reducing patient’s anxiety for sure!
Cheers Char
@mca Yes, agree! Especially if it is a sensitive subject… Its hard if they are in the same social circles i.e. same church.
@NathanK I just realised what you did there. I need to learn how you do multiple replies in a message 
To answer your question - no, we are not using Heidi for medical translation for this trial. It is purely for scribes in English.
Looks interesting, does it capture the patient?
A lot of google translate that I know of. As has been pointed out can be a sensitive space, family can be risky, depending on family dynamic and culture, and using a minor is hard on all involved. Using staff, if the community is small, also has issues as raised above, at least the translators are doing their official job. If google translate not capturing interactions why reinvent the wheel. What are the implications if it is capturing data?
Some interesting side issues are raised in this discussion. There is a burden on family members, usually the younger generation. They get uncomfortable having to deliver a diagnosis and witness discussion that would normally happen in their absence (usual family dynamic) and a translation app bypasses the need for a family interpreter. This article covers some of the issues we uncovered when researching the use of ListenPlease. It’s open access so just drop the citation into Google Scholar. There is more detail in a dissertation that a later student of mine did - let me know if you want to check out the dissertation.
Day, K. J., & Song, N. (2017). Attitudes and concerns of doctors and nurses about using a translation application for in-hospital brief interactions with Korean patients. BMJ Health & Care Informatics, 24(3).
It is using the "Quote functionality. Just select the text you want, and hit the magic "Quote button that appears. You can retrospectively edit your post(s) if you want to practice it 
I’m cautious of speaking beyond my understanding of the product, but from what I understand, it currently sits in parallel to the record, with some initial proof of concepts of integration with the EMR and patient demographics being done. Rachael is an anaesthetist and Co-founder (rachaelgrimaldi@cardmedic.com), and is very lovely. Daf