Utilizing a Digital Multi-Language Patient Questionnaire for Diagnostic Imaging Examinations

In diagnostic imaging (DI) practice, patient questionnaires allow clinical staff to gather medical history information directly from patients. However, language barriers can prevent patients from completing the questionnaires and may endanger patient safety if the patient fails to indicate critical medical information. Interpreters are commonly employed to help patients convey important medical details; however, there are limits to their practical utilization. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and practicality of a digital multi-language questionnaire designed to help overcome the language barriers between patients and clinical staff. The standard English-language questionnaire for bone mineral density (BMD) examinations was used in this study. It was translated into several languages and presented in an electronic form to patients in a language most suitable for them. The completed questionnaires, along with the patient responses, were automatically converted into English, allowing them to be reviewed by DI staff through a radiological information system (RIS) and picture archiving and communication system (PACS). Patients and clinical staff commented on the comfort of using the translated questionnaires. The modified Wald method was used to establish the confidence interval. The results showed that all patients and clinical staff were comfortable using the translated questionnaires. Ultimately, in this study we have developed a digital multi-language questionnaire for BMD examinations which can be converted into different languages and be stored in RIS and PACS. To the best of our knowledge, this approach had not been applied or tested elsewhere.