3 Things to Know Before Working With a Medical Interpreter

You will be surprised to know the importance of medical interpreters in the office. In a medical setting, a medical interpreter addresses one of the most important healthcare needs of the patients, communication.

Communication plays a key role in providing the right treatment to the patient and increasing their trust for the medical professionals. However, there are a few things that medical centers need to consider before they start working with a medical professional.

Here are five things 3 things to know before working with a medical interpreter:

Reliance of the interpreter

Medical interpreters are used extensively in some medical healthcare centers in order to help and understand the patient in the best way possible. However, hospitals should resist the urge of doing this by themselves, i.e. it is important to hire someone who interprets for a living rather than getting this job done by some who is not trained.

After all, a professional interpreter has certifications, experience, and the right skills to interpret the language. If such a task is undertaken by someone else, you are putting the patient’s life at risk and communication will not be efficient.

Keeping it Simple

It doesn’t matter how experienced or qualified the interpreter may be, always ensure that sentences use easy vocabulary, and the message is kept simple. This helps the patient respond better and be less confused.

This approach is much more effective when the patient is asked about the symptoms and informing them about the treatment plan. You must always feel confident about what your patient understands.

Discuss the details with the interpreter before meeting with the patient

Interpreters are not just good at understanding language but also different cultures. In most cases, it is recommended you provide all the information to the interpreter about the patient such as medical history, cultural background and current medical condition, etc.

Sometimes the patient is following a particular diet, religious practices or a certain lifestyle that is important to be considered. Having a professional medical interpreter can help the patient communicate effectively and comfortably, which he or she would not have been able to understand normal circumstances.