Colorado Language Connection’s Bridging the Gap Medical Interpreter Training in March 2017
The Importance of Using a Trained Medical Interpreter By Agi Oseth When I was in college, I helped the Indonesian community with interpretation in many situations: seeing a doctor, speaking with law enforcement, opening a bank account, and getting a driver’s license are a few examples. In general, I found that Indonesians can read and write in English quite well, but when it comes to expressing specific needs, particularly medical ones, they often need help to communicate clearly in English. Recently, I had the opportunity to complete a 40-hour medical interpreter training program called Bridging the Gap (BTG), offered by the Colorado Language Connection (CLC). The course surveys key topics in medical interpretation, including interpreter roles, interpreters’ code of ethics, basic medical terminology and procedures, the U.S. healthcare system, and cultural mediation techniques. Participants do not become experts in medicine, of course, but they learn important and relevant concepts, vocabulary, and procedures that facilitate communication and mutual understanding in medical settings. I believe this 40-hour training program provides the foundation for true professionalism for bilingual speakers who work as medical interpreters. At CLC, we emphasize medical interpretation because the consequences of misunderstanding in health care settings can be so high. Inaccurate medication, incorrect procedures, multiple readmissions, unnecessary lab tests, and potential liabilities - all of these can result when health care professionals utilize untrained interpreters. Having two hands does not make someone become a pi-
anist; similarly, the ability to speak two languages does not make a person competent to interpret or translate accurately between health care providers and patients. Untrained interpreters likely have little knowledge of medical vocabulary. They may also omit some information or change meanings in ways that may affect diagnosis and treatment and lead to adverse consequences for the patient’s health. A trained medical interpreter functions not just as a voice for the patient but also helps to bridge the cultural gap that can cause misunderstanding in medical consultations. For example, it is a common practice in Indonesia to do kerokan, a traditional healing technique in which we use the edge of a coin and menthol topical ointment or oil to scrape someone’s back. This can leave long red marks on the skin. This technique is supposed to release toxic substances trapped in the body as a remedy for illnesses such as the common cold, but it is not recognized in western medical practice. When medical personnel see the long red marks on a child’s back, they might think that the marks indicate physical abuse. A knowledgeable interpreter who is familiar with the culture and practice can help practitioners understand the situation more clearly. I believe that formal training for medical interpreting is crucial, and those who attempt to learn interpretation techniques on the job – no matter how well-intentioned they are - will inevitably lack critical knowledge and skills that could improve communication and medical care.
Agi Oseth is the marketing manager for Colorado Language Connection, a unit of the Asian Pacific Development Center. Colorado Language Connection provides In-person Interpretation, Phone Interpretation,Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), Document Translations,Transcription, Bridging the Gap 40-hour Medical Interpreter Training, and Cultural Competency Training. Over 80 languages are available, including American Sign Language.To learn more, visit www.coloradolanguageconnection.org.
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August 2017 | Health