Published studies report positive benefits of professional interpreters on communication (errors and comprehension), utilization, clinical outcomes and satisfaction with care.
Why is it important for a doctor to be bilingual?
Medical practitioners need to communicate well with patients and their family members. Physicians with good communication skills find it easier to understand questions and properly explain conditions. In today’s multicultural world, bilingual medical practitioners can help care for those who don’t speak English .
Why is it important for healthcare professionals to understand language?
It puts patient safety first
In healthcare, the patient and his/her safety greatly matter. Beyond physical injuries, language miscommunications with patients may lead to delays in treatment, patient confusion or alienation, longer hospital stays or readmittance, and sometimes lawsuits.
Why is Spanish important in healthcare?
Research has shown that fluent, bilingual clinicians’ direct communication with LEP patients can result in improved health-care quality and outcomes , including better patient satisfaction with care, 23 , 24 medication adherence, 25 patient understanding of diagnoses and treatment, 16 outcomes for LEP patients with diabetes, ...
Why is Spanish important in nursing?
Having some level of Spanish-speaking ability is a skill that can differentiate a nurse job candidate, adding value to his or her resume. Knowing Spanish also increases quality of care , Long said. “Language barriers impact the quality of care,” she said.
What is the difference between a healthcare interpreter and a bilingual individual?
A bilingual employee may provide direct services in both languages but, without additional training, is not qualified to serve as an interpreter .
When using an interpreter a healthcare professional should?
When using an interpreter, the clinician should address the patient directly and seat the interpreter next to or slightly behind the patient . Statements should be short, and the discussion should be limited to three major points.
What are the benefits of hiring an interpreter in a healthcare facility?
- Medical Interpretation Saves Lives. ...
- Interpretation Services Improve Patient Care. ...
- There is Less Room for Errors. ...
- Patients and Their Families Will Feel More at Ease. ...
- Interpreters Make People Feel Welcome.
How does language in health care affect in the delivery of care to our patients?
Language barriers contribute to reducing both patient and medical provider satisfaction, as well as communication between medical providers and patients . Patients who face language barriers are more likely to consume more healthcare services 2 and experience more adverse events.
Is French useful in medicine?
Additionally, if you’re interested in humanitarian work, French could come in handy . Doctors Without Borders originated in France, and French is widely spoken in countries where they work, such as Belgium and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Why is it important to have bilingual nurses?
The Importance of Bilingual Nurses
They learn about a patient’s history, their concerns, and their values . Often, nurses need to get consent from their patients to move forward with a medical treatment, which requires that the nurse and patient share a common understanding through a shared language.
Why is language so important?
Language is one of the most important parts of any culture. It is the way by which people communicate with one another, build relationships, and create a sense of community . There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world today, and each is unique in a number of ways.
What is healthcare language?
By: Ashley Tulio, Communications Specialist. Medical language services refer to interpretation and translation for health issues or within the health system . Examples of such include appointments, a patient’s medical history in a different language, lab test results, and doctor-patient written correspondence.
How can you improve communication with non English speaking patients?
- Speak Slowly and Clearly. ...
- Keep It Simple. ...
- Make Eye Contact. ...
- Stay Engaged with the Interpreter. ...
- Pay Attention to Body Language. ...
- Be Patient and Respectful. ...
- Be Culturally Sensitive.
What percent of healthcare workers speak Spanish?
They are Spanish ( 36.2%) , Hindi (13.8%) and French (8.8%). Nearly half (44.7%) of all physicians who speak a non-English language graduated from a medical school outside of the United States.
Having bilingual staff is generally more efficient than using a translation service or contractors, and it will allow the hospital to appeal to a larger population than it otherwise would . You might make more money as a bilingual healthcare worker and you could potentially save your employer money on translation.
What language should I learn as a nurse?
The best language for nursing students ranges from Arabic to Zulu depending on location. In Minneapolis, Somali and Hmong are spoken by large populations. In California, Mandarin and Korean are more useful. Before minoring in Spanish or Sesotho, nursing students should research widely spoken languages in the area.
Why should doctors learn Spanish?
patients with limited English speak Spanish [2], and a case could be made that all physicians in this country should learn Spanish to minimize the disparity . Language concordance between patient and physician has been shown to reduce overall cost to the patient and minimize costs to the hospital [3].
How do nurses learn Spanish?
What is Medical Healthcare interpreter?
A healthcare interpreter is one who interprets in healthcare settings of any sort, including doctor’s offices, clinics, hospitals, home health visits, mental health clinics, and public health presentations .
Language interpreting is the conversion of one spoken language into another . Language translation is the conversion of one written language into another. Language is very important to providing optimal patient care.
Can a staff member be used as an interpreter?
KEY POINTS. Bilingual staff members can be taught to provide interpretation services when professional interpreters are not feasible . To enhance communication, the staff member should use the universal form of the language being interpreted whenever possible and avoid regional words or dialects.
How do interpreters improve communication?
Speak more slowly rather than more loudly . Speak at an even pace in relatively short segments. Pause so the interpreter can interpret. Assume, and insist, that everything you say, everything the patient says, and everything that family members say is interpreted.
How do you work effectively with a professional interpreter?
- Introduce yourself to the interpreter. ...
- Acknowledge the interpreter as a professional in communication. ...
- During the medical interview, speak directly to the patient, not to the interpreter.
- Speak more slowly rather than more loudly.
How professional interpreters should be used?
It is essential to use professional interpreters: When conveying important or sensitive information about health issues, entitlements, rights and responsibilities or seeking informed consent, when your family member identifies that language is a barrier to communicating effectively .
