Medical interpreter training
Today it is widely recognized that quality medical interpreting—which occurs in numerous settings, including hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, home health visits, among others—is essential to bridge communication between limited-English speaking patients and the doctors, nurses, technicians, and other healthcare providers who serve them.
Without skilled interpretation, errors in communication can occur, posing grave risks to the patient and immense liability to the healthcare institution. Even the most skilled healthcare providers require trained, qualified interpreters who are familiar with medical terminology and have the skills to allow both patients and providers to completely understand the interpreted event.
A medical / healthcare interpreter must have demonstrable, advanced command of two languages and be able to handle formal and informal speech, including slang. The interpreter must also have an extensive vocabulary deal with medical terminology as well as the wide variety of topics that may come up during an interview or other interactions.
When a patient has limited second language skills, it is nearly impossible for even the most skilled clinician to provide high-quality healthcare services without accurate interpreting performed by a trained, qualified interpreter who is familiar with medical terminology.