Health Care For Children: Why Medical Interpreters Are Critical

In a hospital, miscommunication can be deadly

In a hospital, miscommunication can be deadly. If a doctor can't understand a patient due to a language barrier, the chances of misdiagnosis and mistreatment skyrocket. It's not unusual for family members to serve as ad hoc interpreters in such circumstances, although this approach can cause lasting problems. For instance, children are sometimes asked to interpret for their parents, turning the family hierarchy upside-down and sometimes triggering psychological issues for the children.

Instead, it is preferable to hire a professional medical interpreter to serve as a vital communication bridge between patient and healthcare workers. Professional medical interpreting is especially important when the patient is a minor, as explained below.

Why Medical Interpreters are Important When the Patient is a Child

Experts in interpreting for minors. Pediatric medical interpreters are given specialized training on the best ways to speak clearly with children. For instance, a professional medical translator would understand the importance of choosing basic vocabulary ("ear, nose and throat doctor" vs. "otolaryngologist"). Another approach to communicating with children is to relate new learning to older facts they already understand. These and other professional pediatric translation techniques make medical translators especially qualified to help healthcare professionals understand children's ailments.

Parents' English fluency and length of hospital stay. A study from a Kansas City children's clinic found that, on average, children stay 60 percent longer in the hospital when their caretakers can't speak English well. Medical interpreting eliminates language obstacles, allowing kids to go home sooner. Reduction of hospital costs is key on both macro and micro levels; when hospital visits are shorter, society's health insurance costs are reduced, and individuals who are paying out of pocket see significant savings.

Cultural ambassadors. For those who can't speak the local language, a hospital visit can be particularly scary. A 2003 study, "Education, Pediatrics and Culture," reported that medical interpreters help make hospital visits a little less frightening by acting as "welcomers." In this way, medical interpreters help minimize cultural differences. For instance, a medical interpreter might offer patients and family members a culturally appropriate greeting if the doctor falls short. People are inherently more comfortable when they understand the language around them. In a foreign land, the sound of our native language feels like a soothing balm. Medical interpreters enhance healing by making pediatric patients feel more comfortable.

Bridging cultural differences, especially around folk remedies. Medical interpreters often have special cultural knowledge in addition to second language mastery. In this way, they can help understand which folk treatments may have been applied before the patient was brought to the hospital. Health care providers require this background knowledge to correctly apply treatments and to inform family members about how to care for the child in the future.

Improved family support. The 2003 study mentioned above also revealed that medical interpreters often smooth the transition between hospital and home by checking in with patients outside the examination room. This type of social synthesis increases the chances that patients (children in particular) will correctly follow doctors' recommended treatments.

Thus, having a medical interpreter available for pediatric translation results in numerous positive healthcare outcomes: reduced hospital stays, increased cross-cultural understanding, and improved levels of patient comfort.

by: Terri L. Kent

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