Better medical interpreting for Spanish- and Mandarin-speaking breast cancer patients
RSMI HEALS
This project compares three tech‑assisted human interpreting methods and explores AI for real‑time translation to help Spanish- and Mandarin-speaking breast cancer patients with limited English.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11323458 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join as a breast cancer patient who speaks Spanish or Mandarin and limited English. The team will compare three interpretation methods: simultaneous “UN‑style” interpretation, audio consecutive interpretation, and video consecutive interpretation, measuring interpreter errors, your health outcomes, and how efficient each approach is. Researchers will also explore whether AI can provide real‑time simultaneous interpreting as a cheaper, scalable option. The study will look at what makes each approach easier or harder to use in clinic settings.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people receiving breast cancer care who speak Spanish or Mandarin and report limited English proficiency.
Not a fit: People who speak English well, or who speak languages other than Spanish or Mandarin, are unlikely to benefit from this specific study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve communication during cancer care, reduce interpretation errors, and make interpreters more available and affordable for patients who do not speak English well.
How similar studies have performed: Human remote interpretation has been used successfully before, but using AI for medical real‑time simultaneous interpreting is largely new and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gany, Francesca M — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Gany, Francesca M
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.