Associations between knowledge of multilingual support resources and attitudes towards, and use of, ad hoc interpreters in pharmacies in Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Abstract Background With the increasing diversity of nationalities in Japan, the number of foreign patients with limited Japanese language proficiency is growing. While various multilingual support resources have been developed in recent years, ad hoc interpreters are still commonly used in Japanese medical settings, as a form of language support, despite the known risks. We hypothesised that pharmacies use ad hoc interpreters because they are unaware of appropriate multilingual support resources. This study aimed to describe the situation regarding foreign patients with limited Japanese proficiency at pharmacies and investigate whether knowledge of multilingual support resources was associated with attitudes towards, and use of, ad hoc interpreters in pharmacies. Methods All member pharmacies of the Aichi Pharmaceutical Association in Japan were invited to complete an online questionnaire survey. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to investigate associations between knowledge of multilingual support resources and attitudes towards, and use of, ad hoc interpreters. Results From all target pharmacies, 605 (21.4%) valid responses were obtained, and 511 (84.3%) had received a foreign patient at least once. Among them, 86.7% suggested positive (including neutral) attitudes towards ad hoc interpreters, and 57.5% of pharmacies felt no anxiety about the accuracy of ad hoc interpreters. We found ad hoc interpreters to be the most commonly used means (71.8%) of communicating with patients with limited Japanese proficiency. Knowledge of multilingual support resources was not significantly associated with attitudes towards ad hoc interpreters. The adjusted odds ratios for the use of ad hoc interpreters for one, two, and three or more multilingual support resources known compared to none known were: 4.02 (95%CI: 1.6–10.1, p = 0.003), 9.43 (95%CI: 3.61–24.6, p < 0.001), 3.73 (95%CI: 1.18–11.8 p = 0.02) respectively. Conclusion Contrary to our hypothesis, pharmacies that have knowledge of multilingual resources are more likely to use ad hoc interpreters. Our findings suggest that knowledge of multilingual support resources alone does not reduce reliance on ad hoc interpreters. Raising awareness of the risks associated with the use of ad hoc interpreters, including medical errors and ethical concerns, could contribute to safer communication in healthcare settings.