Healthcare interpreting

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Where should the medical interpreter stand?

Simply put, the perfect position for the interpreter in a medical setting is the triangle. This format allows the patient, the medical professional, and the interpreter to easily see and hear each other. However, sometimes there is only one seat for the patient; the interpreter must stand. The triangle is still the best option. However, […]

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Three modes of interpretation for medical interpreters

I have spoken about this in the past, but I believe this is worth considering once again. Healthcare interpreters need to be proficient and the three modes of interpretation. What are they and when are they needed? 1 Consecutive Interpreting By far the most common and preferred method of interpreting for medical interpreters is consecutive

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Conduits of Communication? Part 4

As we have considered so far in this series of articles, a conduit of communication is simply a machine, a robot. Although I understand the purpose is to keep healthcare interpreters neutral and unbiased, people are not machines. People are complicated, and so are the roles of the professional interpreter. In addition to being professional

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Conduits of communication? Part 3

How has the concept of the medical interpreters simply serving as a conduit of communication affected the relationship between the medical professionals and interpreters? For many years now, interpreters and medical professionals have been taught that the role of the medical interpreter is to serve only as conduits of information. They are to remain invisible,

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Conduits of communication? Part 2

As discussed in Conduits of Communication Part 1, there is a valid reason why it has been taught that interpreters are conduits of communication. By categorizing interpreters into unemotional machinery, the issue of interpreter bias is perceived to have been addressed. However, often resolving one problem creates new ones. For instance, in 2015, my downstairs

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Data from Star Trek

Bad News

I originally wrote this in 2011 and since that time the experience has occurred over and over again. It never gets easier. I was recently interpreting for a patient at a doctor’s appointment. The doctor entered the room and in a very clear, straight forward way, told the patient that he had tried everything he

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I am tickled pink to be interpreting!

This was originally posted in 2011 with a couple of updates. When interpreting, accuracy is absolutely necessary. There is no room for mistakes. In a medical setting for example, the patient needs to know what the doctor is saying. Likewise, the doctor must know the patient’s concerns in order to perform his vital job correctly.

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Playing Games

This blog was originally written in 2011based on my experience. I cannot tell you how many times the following has come up. The other day a physical therapist turned to me and said “I wish your team were doing our interpreting!” I asked her why. The therapist replied that over many years she had observed

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Telephone Interpreting -Thumb/Toe

(This was another blog series from 2011. The current world pandemic makes telephonic and video conference interpreting more important than ever. However I basically still agree with my opinion from over ten years ago!) Recently I was assigned to interpret for a patient at a hospital for pre-surgery.  When the patient entered the room, the

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Problems with Workers Comp Interpreters.

This series of blog articles were written in 2011. Since that time Jeff has become a CCHI certified Healthcare interpreter. Although we respect IMIA and the code of ethics are very similar, we have now adopted the CCHI code of ethics not mentioned in this blog. What shocks me is that after all this time,

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