Language-Appropriate Healthcare and Medical Language Education (Building Better Curriculum) - January 18, 2023

Recorded On: 01/18/2023

Language is the principal tool that clinicians use in providing healthcare. Populations with non- English language preferences (NELP) are more likely to experience health inequities, such as worse clinical outcomes and less satisfaction with care compared to English-speaking patients. Additionally, the standard use of language in healthcare communication may be ineffective for patients with sensory or cognitive impairments.

Despite known benefits and needs, there is a paucity of existing published educational materials and curricula that teach students and practitioners how to provide equitable patient-centered language-appropriate care. To improve the healthcare of populations with NELP and with sensory or cognitive impairments, MedEdPORTAL launched the Language-Appropriate Health Care and Medical Language Collection (https://www.mededportal.org/language).

This session aims to orient attendees to the collection and encourage them to submit their educational scholarship by providing submission guidelines and specific examples.

Please visit the AAMC Building Better Curriculum Webinars webpage for a complete list of future events and special programming.

Débora H. Silva Díaz MD, M.Ed.

Professor of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine

Dr. Débora H. Silva-Díaz is a tenured Professor of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine with more than 20 years of experience in medical education. Born in Mexico and raised in Puerto Rico, she completed a BA in Clinical Psychology at Tufts University, an MD and General Pediatrics Residency Program at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, a fellowship in Primary Care Faculty Development at Michigan State University, and a Master’s in Education at the University of Cincinnati. She has served, among others, as director of the Clinical Skills Program, Curriculum Office, Faculty Development Program, Office of Accreditation, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and is the past Interim Dean for Academic Affairs of the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus. In these positions, she developed, implemented, and revised multiple bilingual curricula including a longitudinal clinical and communication skills curriculum for medical students. She has also served as a consultant, locally, nationally, and internationally, developing and revising curricula, both in English and Spanish.

Pilar Ortega, MD, MGM

Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education

Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago Departments of Emergency Medicine and Medical Education

Dr. Pilar Ortega is Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). She also holds a faculty appointment as clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Departments of Emergency Medicine and Medical Education. At UIC, Dr. Ortega created the inaugural Medical Spanish program for the College of Medicine, which she taught for 9 years and has become a prototype for medical language education nationwide. She also developed a longitudinal course to prepare all medical students to effectively communicate with linguistically diverse populations. Dr. Ortega completed her undergraduate degree in philosophy at the Johns Hopkins University, her medical degree at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, emergency medicine residency at the University of Chicago, and a master’s degree in graphic medicine from the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía.

Dr. Ortega grew up bilingual, learning Spanish at home and English at school. Her educational and research agendas focus on effective language-concordant and cross-linguistic health communication. Dr. Ortega wrote the textbook and clinical case book in the series, Spanish and the Medical Interview, and is the Founder and President of the non-profit organization, the National Association of Medical Spanish (NAMS). She is also Co-Founder and Immediate-Past President of the Medical Organization for Latino Advancement (MOLA), a non-profit professional organization that aims to improve health equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare. Dr. Ortega has published extensively on medical language education, assessment, and language-appropriate health policy and has given over 100 national and international presentations through organizations such as the American Medical Association, the ACGME, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Latino Medical Student Association, the National Hispanic Medical Association, the International Congress of the Spanish Language, and the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare.

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