Interpreting, Medical

History

Active political movements by Deaf communities in many countries have resulted in laws and policies that mandate access to health care services for Deaf people. Besides an increase in the likelihood that a professional, qualified interpreter will be provided at no charge to the patient, another positive outcome of access laws has been an increase in Deaf individuals who are pursuing health-related careers, and there is small but growing population of Deaf, bilingual physicians in the United States and Canada. Thus, graduate medical programs, residencies, and Deaf health care professionals have a greater need for highly skilled interpreters. Although strides have been made, the quality and quantity of medical interpreters are still not sufficient in any country. In most parts of Asia and Africa, access to professional interpreters in health care is extremely limited.

Qualifications and Work Settings

A highly qualified medical interpreter’s skills include fluency in two languages; understanding of [Page 505]linguistic, social, and cultural influences that impact health care interactions; adherence to a professional code of conduct; ability to accurately interpret simultaneously and consecutively; ability to balance the need for maintaining professional distance with empathy and flexibility; knowledge of the laws/policies related to health care settings; an understanding of the general physiological and psychological implications of health care, therapies, and treatments; and the underlying practices of various health care delivery systems.

In cases involving Deaf patients who are immigrants or refugees, a Deaf interpreter (DI) may work with a hearing interpreter on a team to facilitate communication between the Deaf patient and hearing doctor. Deaf interpreters also provide services for health care organizations in other countries, either in person or on video, so that Deaf patients have access to medical forms, patient rights policies, and other documents in the signed language(s) of the country.

Medical interpreting occurs in a wide variety of settings including clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, urgent care centers, nursing homes, and dental offices. Interpreters may work in all medical specialty areas. Although medical interpreting focuses on physical health care, there is an overlap with mental health interpreting. In some countries, health care interpreting—in both medical and mental health contexts—comes under the rubric of community or public service interpreting. Based on a variety of factors, interpreters may work face-to-face or remotely via video over the Internet. Interpretation may be done consecutively or simultaneously, and both approaches might be used within the same appointment.

...