How can we make the MI feel more included in the clinical encounter? Lot of times, the medical interpreter is walking into a sensitive situation and they can be caught off guard and feel disconnected from the encounter. How can we ensure that the Medical Interpreter (MI) feels more included in the clinical encounter? Often, […]
Working With Medical Interpreter
Microlecture 013: Ethics Of Selective Interpreting
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 […]
Microlecture 010: Teams vs Teaming Instance
I believe that healthcare is a team sport. In order for patients to get the best care possible, we need a multi-disciplinary team of experts to work together to provide patient-centered, family-oriented care. We all know about teams. A team is a group of people who work together on an ongoing basis to accomplish a […]
Microlecture 009: The Bilingual Rule
So here is the provocative question. You got an “A” in your high school Spanish class. Does that make you a medical interpreter? Many times, we have a basic understanding of another language and feel confident that we can communicate in that language. We also feel that even if we are not skilled in speaking […]
Microlecture 006: The Interpreter is an asset
Medical interpreters (MI) report feeling like intruders in some clinical encounters. I have talked to numerous MIs and they are a bit baffled by how some clinicians try to talk in English to patients who do not speak English! Busy clinicians are often wary of anything that might increase the encounter time with patients. That […]
