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There is a lot of debate about how to give bad news to a patient in a culturally respectful manner. Some cultures value direct communication without any frills. Other cultures prefer to be more subtle. In certain cultures, the family will not want the patient to ever know the bad news about their condition. What…
“The best thing to do from a medical provider’s perspective to help the MI is to act as if the MI is invisible” says Maria Reira. Ms. Reira is an expert medical interpreter (MI) who interprets in Spanish, Catalan, and German. Should we behave as if the MI is an invisible presence, a ‘body-less’ voice,…
Medical interpretation ethics behoove the interpreter to adhere to their professional code of conduct at all times. This means that the medical interpreter (MI) is obligated to interpret everything said in the clinical encounter with the patient, including any differences of opinion, conflicts, and unpleasant interactions that may occur during the encounter. The MI is…
Do you know that there are different styles of interpretation? What is simultaneous interpretation? What is consecutive interpretation? Which one is better in a clinical encounter? What are the tradeoffs? Which is the preferred method in a clinical encounter when you are pressed for time? VJ Periyakoil, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine. Tweet to…
Take a guess! Do doctors speak in low register or high register? Should the medical interpreter alter the register during translation to make sure the patient understands? Or, should they pause and ask the doctor to restate the information at a lower register? VJ Periyakoil, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine. Tweet to us: @palliator