A simple error by a medical interpreter could be catastrophic. If a doctor or a patient were to misunderstand the dialog, mistakes could be made in the decision-making process. This is another reason why I constantly advocate for the use of professional certified interpreters.
It is very common for inexperienced interpreters to make mistakes by omitting the first words in the beginning of a session/sentence. The same is true at the end of a session/sentence. Also, inexperienced interpreters often have difficulty managing the flow of communication. Therefore, they let individuals ramble, making it problematic for them to recall everything that was said.
Interpreters need to manage the flow of communication and pause the speaker whenever they need to convey the information being spoken. It is always best for the speaker to speak in brief sentences. This makes the job of the interpreter much more accurate. However, medical professionals often forget and begin to just say what’s on their mind. If the interpreter does not pause them, it is very possible important information can be missed.
Most untested interpreters will begin to tire and make mistakes towards the end of a session. At the same time, most patients often wait until the very end of an appointment to begin disclosing important information. You can see how this could be a disastrous combination. Please use professional interpreters who are capable of rendering and accurate rendition throughout the entire session.
Professional interpreters also train to familiarize themselves with medical terminology. I have seen friends and family members serving as interpreters who simply do not know the medical terminology and instead just invent words that sound good. This can also be the case when doctors and patients use idiomatic expressions. Not all idioms translate well.
I recently sat through a fall protection safety class where the instructor uses several interesting expressions. His expressions were “bleed like a stuck hog”, “you got your ears on?”, “I told them how the rabbit ate the cabbage”, and “Passive aggressive will eat your lunch”. I know that you got your ears on means are you listening? However, I have no clue what the other expressions meant. By the way, if any of you know these expressions, please share them with me in the comment section below.
My point is that if the interpreter does not understand the idiomatic expression, he should not make it up. He needs to seek an explanation. However, most untrained interpreters are typically too scared to seek clarification. They are often more concerned with appearing proficient at their job, then they are with properly practicing. This is reckless and dangerous. However, it is also very common unless you use a professional certified interpreter.
You never want a patient to walk away from an appointment confused and unsure of what his diagnosis and treatments are. Certified interpreters always strive to provide an accurate target language equivalent so that the patient can fully understand what he is being told. In English, between a rock and a hard place would be translated in Spanish “Entre la pared y la espada.” If you literally translate the Spanish, it reads between the wall and the sword. To transliterate the expression in Spanish would make no sense to the LEP person. The interpreter would need in his vocabulary the corresponding Spanish idiom that would make sense to the patient. Don’t let interpreting errors occur in your office.
