subject: Working With Medical Interpreter Services: 5 Tips To Keep In Mind [print this page] As with all professions, medical interpreter services follow their own set of rules. By appreciating the qualities of medical interpretation we've listed below, you'll be more prepared to partner with a medical interpreter.
1. Most medical interpreter services' employees are required to abide by the medical interpreter code of conduct.
The first thing to understand is that two sets of guidelines (the National Code of Ethics and the National Standards of Practice for Interpreters of Healthcare) outline best practices for medical interpretation. These interpretation guidelines emphasize:
Avoidance of Personal Involvement. Heart-wrenching experiences are par for the course for those who provide medical interpreter services. So as to provide the best possible service, each medical interpreter strives to maintain a neutral, rational viewpoint. Otherwise, it's too easy to become overwhelmed by emotions.
Neutrality. Medical interpreter guidelines foster neutrality in another way as well, namely by discouraging counseling of patients. Advocacy is not encouraged unless the medical interpreter feels that the dignity or health of the patient is at risk. National interpreter ethical directives stress that such involvement should come only after all other avenues have been exhausted.
Confidentiality. Every medical interpreter learns personal information while interpreting patients' words. Total confidentiality, as described in medical interpreter services' guidelines, helps patients feel comfortable enough to share potentially embarrassing health information.
2. The written word is generally outside of the scope of medical interpreter services.
Medical translation and medical interpretation are different. Medical interpreters work almost exclusively with the spoken word, while medical translators are masters of written text. The exception to this rule is hospital forms. Medical interpreters may help patients fill out paperwork by translating forms.
3. Almost every language on the planet is included in medical interpreter services.
Given that hundreds of languages are spoken in the world today, it's no surprise that healthcare facilities sometimes have a challenge finding interpreters for their more linguistically exotic patients. Many medical interpreter services solve this problem by offering interpretation on an "a la carte," as-needed basis. Rather than maintaining a full-time mandarin Chinese speaker, for instance, a hospital can "outsource" this to a provider of medical interpreter services. This allows healthcare facilities to deliver superior healthcare outcomes while also minimizing costs.
4. Some medical interpreters also do court interpretation.
Just as healthcare interpreters promote health by speaking for patients, court interpreters promote justice by interpreting what witnesses and lawyers have to say in court proceedings. It's rare for a single medical interpreter to specialize in courtroom proceedings as well, but many medical interpreter services offer both options to their clients.
5. Culture is intertwined with medical interpretation services.
Language and culture grow up together. Each culture organizes reality in its own way using language. This connection is familiar to medical interpreters, who must be adept at reading a person's emotions, idioms, and tone to understand the deeper meaning behind their words. For instance, many American English speakers use sarcasm - they say exactly the opposite of what they truly mean, and impart their true feelings via a droll tone. Likewise, an unusual metaphor or aphorism can pack oodles of information into a single sentence. A medical interpreter must be able to appreciate and pass on such subtle culturally-based language cues.
So, the next time that you partner with a company that offers medical interpreter services, remember these tips. Your medical interpreter will appreciate it.
