Communication pitfalls in interpreted genetic counseling sessions

The impact of language interpretation on interactive communication in genetic counseling sessions is not well studied. We sought to determine whether interpretation affects communication in genetic counseling sessions using communication analysis. With a sample of pregnant patients of advanced maternal age, we audiotaped, analyzed, and compared seven Spanish‐speaking patients with limited‐English proficiency to seven English‐speaking patients on length of session, English words spoken, and number of questions asked. An analysis of verbal listening cues, including back‐channels and questions asked was performed to evaluate the level of engagement by both provider and patient. Session length did not differ between groups (p > 0.05), however, English‐speaking sessions involved significantly more words (mean: 4,798 vs. 2,524) exchanged over the course of the conversation than interpreter‐mediated sessions (p