Healthcare facilities are mandated to address interpreting needs. Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act requires that all federally funded institutions make “reasonable” attempts to provide meaningful access to language services for limited-English-proficiency patients. From in-person to over-the-phone to remote interpreting, various strategies have been employed to bridge language gaps. What doesn’t work is ad hoc interpreting by an untrained interpreter. All too often one hears about a young child or family member interpreting between doctor and patient, which can lead to miscommunication or inaccurate presentation of symptoms, instructions, diagnosis, and more. Or, even if a qualified interpreter is available on-site, the doctor or nurse and the interpreter may not be available at the same time, which can lead to delays in patient care.
Archive for the ‘Interpreting’ Category
Remote Medical Interpreting – meeting the needs of LEP populations
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
Working with Interpreters in Multilingual Business and Event Environments
Thursday, March 11th, 2010In 2008, nearly 2 million people travelled overseas to the U.S. for conferences and conventions; 6.3 million for business purposes (U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Travel & Tourism Industries, 2008). All-in-all, millions cross borders for business and networking opportunities. Not everyone speaks English, and even those who do speak it are often able to participate more fully if services are available in their native languages. As the number of international visitors at U.S. trade shows increases, and businesses expand into new international markets, so does the use of interpreters for communicating with non-English-speakers. To answer questions related to working with interpreters, language services company Global Language Solutions has published a tip sheet, “Working with Interpreters in a Multilingual Business or Event Environment.”