Agents of empathy: How medical interpreters bridge sociocultural gaps in genomic sequencing disclosures with Spanish-speaking families.

The findings were based on coders' observations and were not checked with clinicians, interpreters, or parents. The study did not measure whether parents understood the disclosure or were satisfied with interpretation, so the effect of the language adaptations is unknown. It included only parents of pediatric cancer patients at one large academic center, so it may not apply to other settings or patient groups. Interpreters' demographic information was not collected, and parents' country of origin was not known, so dialect and cultural background could not be analyzed. The results are qualitative and subjective, and may not generalize.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health. Baylor College of Medicine and Miraca Holdings have a joint venture, Baylor Genetics Laboratories, which performs exome sequencing; Dr. Plon serves on the scientific advisory board of the laboratory. All other co-authors declared no conflict of interest.

Do not conclude that interpreters should change the clinical content of disclosures or that these tools improve patient understanding. The study described observed language adaptations and did not measure parents' comprehension, satisfaction, or outcomes.