interpreter ethics

Reasons why you should not hire a qualified professional interpreter.

10 Comments / Medical Interpreting, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / August 25, 2012 / Business ethics, ethics, interpreter ethics, Medical interpretation, workers comp., Workers compensation

My contemporaries shamelessly self-promote and provide their own delusional reasons as to why only qualified professional interpreters (themselves) should be hired. How ridiculous is that! They use words such as ethics, standards or worse yet, liability to strong-arm potential clients to use them instead of saving tons of money using Google translate or the extraordinary […]

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Resisting the Urge to Help

1 Comment / Ethics, Medical Interpreting, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / March 3, 2012 / Business ethics, interpreter ethics, Medical interpretation, Workers compensation

When you think of an interpreter, most people think of someone that facilitates communication. Although that is true, it is important to understand what interpreters should and should not do. Imagine this scenario. A highly educated doctor is asking a series of questions to his patient that speaks little to no English. The doctor uses

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Bad News! The nurse case manager.

Ethics, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / February 18, 2012 / ethics, interpreter ethics, Medical interpretation, spanish, Translation, Workers compensation

Just like doctors, nurses have a code of ethics. They are advocates for the patient. Their goal is to help the patient recover. Case managers work for the insurance company. They are somewhat like mediators for the insurance company. They coordinate all the services the patient will need, a vital service for recovery. They help

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A thumb is not a toe! II

1 Comment / Ethics, Medical Interpreting / Jeffrey Alfonso / June 26, 2011 / Assuring accuracy for your peace of mind, Business ethics, ethics, interpreter ethics, interpreting, Medical interpretation, spanish, workers comp., Workers compensation

The telephonic interpretation described in the previous blog was a big mess! Some very basic Spanish was interpreted incorrectly. A thumb is not a toe! Let me clarify. I strongly believe that telephonic interpreting is very important. In fact, under certain circumstances, it might be the only way to provide a badly needed interpreter. No

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A thumb is not a toe!

11 Comments / Ethics, Experience, Medical Interpreting / Jeffrey Alfonso / June 19, 2011 / Assuring accuracy for your peace of mind, Business ethics, doctor, ethics, interpreter ethics, interpreting, Medical interpretation, spanish, Workers compensation

Recently I was assigned to interpret for a patient at a hospital for pre-surgery. When the patient entered the room, the nurse explained to me that hospital policy required her to use the hospital’s interpreter. She explained that I could stay and listen. The nurse pulled out a telephone, placed it on speakerphone, and dialed

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Why are workers’ comp interpreters hated? Part III

Medical Interpreting / Jeffrey Alfonso / May 30, 2011 / ethics, interpreter ethics, interpreting, Medical interpretation, spanish, Translation, workers comp., Workers compensation

As previously mentioned, there are serious problems in the industry. The larger the agency, the more difficult it is to maintain quality control. Due to these problems, there is real danger for trouble to brew.

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Why are problems with workers’ comp interpreters so prevalent?

1 Comment / Medical Interpreting / Jeffrey Alfonso / May 23, 2011 / ethics, interpreter ethics, interpreting, Medical interpretation, spanish, workers comp., Workers compensation

Why are Workers’ Comp Interpreters Hated? Part II Why are problems with workers’ comp interpreters so prevalent? As already mentioned, there are many common problems in the industry with workers’ comp interpreters. They have been observed and commented on by hospital staff, doctors, nurses, and therapists. The International Medical Interpreters Association Code of Ethics (IMIA)

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Why are workers’ comp interpreters hated?

Ethics, Interpreting, Medical Interpreting, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / May 16, 2011 / interpreter ethics, interpreting, Medical interpretation, spanish, workers comp., Workers compensation

I realize that hate is a strong word. Most people, in fact, appreciate the badly-needed interpreting services they provide. There are, however, some very clear problems in the area of workers’ comp medical interpretation.

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Reasons why you should not hire a qualified professional interpreter.

Resisting the Urge to Help

Bad News! The nurse case manager.

A thumb is not a toe! II

A thumb is not a toe!

Why are workers’ comp interpreters hated? Part III

Why are problems with workers’ comp interpreters so prevalent?

Why are workers’ comp interpreters hated?

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