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What is the CanopyLearn Medical Spanish online course?
CanopyLearn Medical Spanish is a 45-hour, self-paced online course that focuses on building Spanish language skills to address gaps in language access, build rapport with Spanish-speaking patients, and improve patient satisfaction. With 41 million Spanish speakers in the U.S., the goal of the CanopyLearn medical Spanish online course is to foster current and future generations of healthcare providers who can communicate with and serve the growing population of Spanish-speaking patients. The research and development of CanopyLearn medical Spanish courses have been supported by multi-year grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The CanopyLearn medical Spanish course is hosted on Canopy's proprietary eLearning platform and is completely self-paced. The 3-level course includes a robust 45-hour curriculum that covers medical terms, Spanish grammar, pronunciation, cultural competency, reading, listening, and speaking.CanopyLearn was created exclusively for the healthcare context and includes a medical drama telenovela called El Puente del Destino to build listening comprehension and vocabulary. Designed to fit into busy schedules, each lesson is subdivided into 10-15 minute modules that can be completed on a mobile phone or any device with an internet connection. Because it's designed to build confidence when speaking with patients, the course emphasizes speaking skills through audio-enabled role-play exercises that let you record yourself and play back your own speech as part of a dialogue with a patient. It incorporates a large variety of interactive activities, such as patient-provider role-play exercises and vocabulary flashcards. Upon completion of each level, you will get a Certificate of Completion accessible through your Canopy dashboard on the login page. The course is also eligible for Continuing Education credits for nurses, physicians, and physician assistants.
What type of certification will I receive after completing CanopyLearn Medical Spanish or Medical English?
Learners who complete all of the quizzes and the final exam in a level — obtaining a minimum score of 70% — will be able to access a certificate of completion for that level through your Canopy profile. CanopyLearn Medical Spanish courses additionally are eligible for continuing education credits through ACCME, ANCC, and AAPA. You may claim 15 credit hours for each completed level or 45 credit hours for completing all 3 levels. Determining whether someone who takes CanopyLearn can care for patients in a language other than English is left up to each individual institution, in accordance with ACA Section 1557. We do not recommend relying on the assessments in CanopyLearn for making these decisions. Our CanopyCredential Bilingual Medical Proficiency Test was designed specifically for this purpose. Canopy does not prescribe a specific cutoff score for Qualified Bilingual Staff, as this is ultimately up to each institution or an individual's employer. However, we do have a recommended minimum of Canopy Conversational Level 2 (equivalent to CEFR High B2). An organization that prefers to be more conservative might choose Canopy Advanced Level 1 (equivalent to CEFR C1). It can also be appropriate for healthcare organizations to identify individuals at intermediate proficiency who may speak to patients in languages other than English in low-risk, routine situations or with an interpreter also on the line. Canopy can work with organizations directly to determine this type of designation. Please contact us for more information.
What proficiency level can I achieve after taking CanopyLearn Medical Spanish?
As a self-paced course, the results may vary. Since CanopyLearn Medical Spanish is a self-paced online course, certain results are not guaranteed to every learner as everyone has a different learning style, level of dedication, and capability to learn another language. According to a panel of experts including linguists, psychometricians, and medical interpreters at the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE), a learner who scores highly on our Medical Spanish Level I-III quizzes with grades in the range of 80-100% is estimated to reflect the Conversational level on the Canopy Scale for Bilingual Medical Proficiency. This is equivalent to a CEFR designation of B2, roughly equivalent to an ILR designation of Speaking 2, Limited Working Proficiency or ACTFL designation of Advanced. Detailed information about the Canopy Scale and Canopy's overall approach to bilingual medical proficiency can be found in our Toolkit for Bilingual Healthcare Communication. Level I is targeted at Canopy Basic Level 2. A learner who has ample opportunity to frequently interact in the target language in their daily professional and/or personal lives may reach a higher level. Level II is targeted at Canopy Emergent Level 1. A learner who has ample opportunity to frequently interact in the target language in their daily professional and/or personal lives may reach a higher level. Level III is targeted at Canopy Conversational Level 1. A learner who has ample opportunity to frequently interact in the target language in their daily professional and/or personal lives may reach a higher level. Typically, in-person experience in a language is needed to develop high levels of proficiency. Some people who take CanopyLearn Medical Spanish already have many hours of experience in Spanish and therefore can score in the higher ranges on the CanopyCredential exam after training on medical terminology through CanopyLearn. Think about CanopyLearn as you would the courses you took to become a healthcare provider. The courses gave you the foundation of information needed, but it was the clinical experiences that built upon that foundation for you to provide care independently. This is the same with CanopyLearn. The online course teaches you the language need to learn medical Spanish. Practicing medical Spanish in a clinical setting will build upon that knowledge to give you a higher score on the CanopyCredential exam to become a qualified bilingual provider, just as you would rely on your real-world experience for the NCLEX or the USMLE. No matter where you are in your medical Spanish proficiency journey, taking the CanopyCredential exam will give you robust and useful feedback according to Canopy Scale for Bilingual Medical Proficiency. More information can be found in our Toolkit for Bilingual Healthcare Communication.
What Continuing Education (CE) credits does CanopyLearn Medical Spanish offer?
CanopyLearn Medical Spanish courses offer continuing education credits through ACCME, ANCC, and AAPA. You may claim 15 credit hours for each completed level or 45 credit hours for completing all 3 levels.CanopyLearn Medical Spanish has been planned and implemented by CME Outfitters, LLC, and Canopy Innovations, Inc. CME Outfitters is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the American Academy of PAs to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. You may claim 15 credit hours for each completed level of CanopyLearn Medical Spanish or 45 credit hours for completing all 3 levels. More information on claiming your credits can be found here. Physicians (ACCME)CME Outfitters, LLC, designates this enduring activity for a maximum of forty-five (45.0) AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Physicians include those who possess the United States degree of doctor of medicine (MD) or doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO), or a recognized international equivalent.Note to Osteopathic Physicians: The AOA automatically recognizes AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ as AOA Category 2 credit. Note to Nurse Practitioners: Nurse practitioners can apply for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). AANP will accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from Jointly Accredited Organizations. Nurse practitioners can also apply for credit through their state boards. Nurses (ANCC)This activity is designated for 45.0 contact hours. California Residents: This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. CME Outfitters LLC’s provider number is CEP 15510.PAs (AAPA)CME Outfitters, LLC, has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 45.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until December 31, 2025. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation. Other Healthcare Professionals: All other healthcare professionals may receive a Certificate of Participation stating this activity was certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
What is the CanopyCredential bilingual medical proficiency assessment?
CanopyCredential is the only scenario-based, standardized language proficiency test designed to assist healthcare organizations in identifying Qualified Bilingual Staff (QBS) who can care for patients directly in a language other than English. CanopyCredential is a bilingual medical proficiency assessment that allows clinicians to demonstrate their status as Qualified Bilingual Staff in accordance with the requirements outlined in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. It is the only scenario-based assessment designed for this purpose, meaning that it assesses medical-specific speaking and listening scenarios based on real patient interactions. Anyone who takes the test receives meaningful feedback based on the Canopy Framework for Bilingual Medical Language Proficiency to support continuous improvement and informed decision-making.In alignment with Section 1557 of the ACA, CanopyCredential measures a test-taker's bilingual medical skills including speaking, listening, sight translation, and sociocultural communicative competence. Test-takers can choose to complete both the medical Spanish and the medical English portions of the test, or you can waive out of the English portion based on your responses to a language background questionnaire at the beginning of the exam.The test begins with a self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) that helps test-takers confirm whether now is the right time for you to take the test based on your individual needs. After completing the exam, you will receive a Canopy Scorecard with a detailed description of your test score according to the Canopy Scale for Bilingual Medical Proficiency, which was adapted directly from the internationally recognized CEFR scale to create the only medical-specific language proficiency scale. More information about the Canopy Scorecard and the Canopy Scale is available here and in our Toolkit for Bilingual Healthcare Communication.
What title or certification does the CanopyCredential exam provide?
The CanopyCredential test helps healthcare organizations identify test-takers as “Qualified Bilingual Staff” (QBS) who can care for patients directly in languages other than English in accordance with ACA Section 1557. Unlike medical interpreter certification, for which there are only two widely accepted national certifying bodies, determining whether someone can function as QBS, for example in the absence of an interpreter, is left up to each individual institution. CanopyCredential is a validated and standardized medical language proficiency test that gives both test-takers and institutional administrators the most detailed report and feedback of any available test for bilingual clinical staff. CanopyCredential scores are mapped to the CanopyScale for Bilingual Proficiency in Healthcare Communication. We developed our own scale because there was no existing, recognized proficiency scale that was specific to the healthcare domain. To do this in a highly standardized and systematic way, we relied on the level descriptions of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR), a versatile and internationally recognized scale designed to be adapted for different contexts. More information about the CanopyCredential scorecard can be found in our Toolkit for Bilingual Healthcare Communication. CanopyCredential is also the only available scenario-based QBS test, meaning that it includes a series of tasks that mimic real clinical encounters, with multiple test questions that pertain to a single scenario with a single patient. Unlike a phone-based test, test-takers watch authentic videos of patient encounters that serve as the basis for listening comprehension questions and speaking prompts. In addition, for individuals who need to show proficiency in both English and Spanish, CanopyCredential provides this measure. However, if a test-taker does not need a medical English assessment, they can waive out of the English portion of the test depending on their language background, offering maximum flexibility. To fully align with ACA Section 1557, CanopyCredential is also the only available test for QBS that measures socio-cultural communicative competence. This means that the test prompts and scoring include things like avoiding bias and being able to switch between technical and non-technical language. Canopy does not prescribe a specific cutoff score for Qualified Bilingual Staff, as this is ultimately up to each institution or an individual's employer. However, we do have a recommended minimum of Canopy Conversational Level 2 (equivalent to CEFR High B2). An organization that prefers to be more conservative might choose Canopy Advanced Level 1 (equivalent to CEFR C1). It can also be appropriate for healthcare organizations to identify individuals at intermediate proficiency who may speak to patients in languages other than English in low-risk, routine situations, or with an interpreter also on the line. Canopy can work with organizations directly to determine this type of designation. Please contact us for more information.
What is the difference between CanopyCredential and a medical interpreter certification?
The CanopyCredential test helps healthcare organizations identify test-takers as “Qualified Bilingual Staff” (QBS) who can care for patients directly in languages other than English in accordance with ACA Section 1557. Unlike medical interpreter certification, for which there are only two widely accepted national certifying bodies, determining whether someone can function as QBS, for example in the absence of an interpreter, is left up to each individual institution. However, the regulation is clear that bilingual staff must still demonstrate their proficiency to their employer, and CanopyCredential was designed specifically to align with this regulation."Specifically, qualified bilingual/multilingual staff must demonstrate to the covered entity that they are proficient in English and at least one other spoken language, including any necessary specialized vocabulary, terminology and phraseology, and are able to effectively, accurately, and impartially communicate directly with individuals with limited English proficiency in their primary language. An individual who meets the definition of “qualified bilingual/multilingual staff” does not necessarily qualify to interpret or translate for individuals with limited English proficiency within the meaning of this rule.” -- HHS 45 CFR Part 92 Final Rule. Importantly, medical interpreter certification is not necessary in order for someone to function as qualified bilingual staff (QBS) and care for patients directly in a language other than English. At the same time, someone who has taken CanopyCredential and demonstrated their QBS proficiency does not necessarily qualify to serve as an interpreter. Still, Canopy's medical language training courses and assessments can be an excellent stepping stone to becoming a medical interpreter or bilingual patient navigator. For example, completing the 45-hour CanopyLearn Medical Spanish course is likely to help someone meet the education eligibility requirements for the CCHI interpreter pathway, but this should be confirmed on a case-by-case basis. Certified Medical Interpreters. Mediate communication between patients and medical professionals. Must complete training, eligibility requirements, and interpreter exam (only two nationally recognized certifying bodies: NBCMI & CCHI). Typically work for interpretation vendors. Qualified Bilingual Staff. Care for patients directly in a language other than English. Each institution can decide how to certify and deploy bilingual staff to enhance language access services. Work for a health system or medical provider.
Who is eligible to take the CanopyCredential assessment? Can I retake it?
The CanopyCredential test is designed for healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, as well as medical students and nursing students, medical academic institutions, hospitals and other healthcare organizations to appropriately assess the bilingual skills that are required for interactions between clinical health professionals, patients, and their families. CanopyCredential allows people with high bilingual medical proficiency to demonstrate their status as Qualified Bilingual Staff (QBS) in compliance with the Affordable Care Act Section 1557. CanopyCredential is also an excellent way for healthcare professionals at any proficiency level to obtain a validated and standardized measure of your bilingual medical proficiency. All test-takers receive a detailed scorecard describing your medical language skills. The Canopy Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), currently provided at the beginning of the Credential test, also gives test-takers an idea of where you may fall on the Canopy Scale for Bilingual Medical Proficiency, which can help you decide if the time is right to complete the test. You can also complete the SAQ at any time at this link. The content of the CanopyCredential test is designed to be accessible to a wide range of clinical professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses, midwives). Although the clinical nature of the assessment content may be challenging for non-clinical healthcare professionals, the assessment can also be used to evaluate the bilingual skills of non-clinical staff. Within the assessment, speaking prompts are provided for each speaking task as a way to help level set the medical information required in order to allow the focus to be on the communication skills. They are not provided with the intent to dictate how to practice medicine. Unlike medical interpreter certification, there are no pre-requisites for taking the CanopyCredential test to demonstrate your capacity as Qualified Bilingual Staff or to get feedback about where you are in your medical language proficiency journey. Once you have taken the test, you must wait least 90 days before retaking. Click here for more information on how often to retake the CanopyCredential exam.

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