In any clinical encounter involving a patient with Limited English Proficiency, both the clinician and the medical interpreter need to prepare for the encounter. The MI needs to know two things: a. Standard logistics issue: which venue, which patient and what is the subspecialty so they can come prepared to interpret the medical terms. b. […]
Practical Tips
Microlecture 014: Should We Think of the Interpreter as an Invisible Person?
“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, […]
Microlecture 012: How To Introduce Interpreter Services
Introducing the medical interpreter (MI) effectively is crucial to ensure clear communication and understanding between the healthcare provider, patient, and their family. Introducing the MI:a. Clinician’s Responsibility: The clinician should initiate the introduction and highlight the role of the MI as a team member. The clinician can say something like, “Hello, I’m [clinician’s name], and […]
Microlecture 011: How To Recruit Multi-Ethnic Patients Into Clinical Research
< When you look at most research studies, you will often find a common trend– most of the study participants are mainstream patients. Few patients from minority communities enroll in research studies. The reasons for this are many and complex. All stakeholders have implicit biases. The researchers may feel that patients from communities of color […]
Microlecture 008: The Consecutive Interpretation Rule
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 […]