to the doctor can make many people nervous. But when patients cannot
communicate with their health care providers because they don't speak the same
language, the situation is not only stressful and frustrating, it becomes
potentially life-threatening. As Faiza Elmasry tells us, while some sort of
translation services are available in hospitals across the United States, there
is a growing need for professional medical interpreters.
For more than a quarter of a century, Language Line Services, LLS, has
provided trained interpreters to help doctors and caregivers communicate with
non-English-speaking patients. Company president Louis Provenzano says the
demand for interpreting services is on the rise.
19 seconds, another immigrant comes into the United States," he says.
"According to our census, the U.S. census data, there is almost 23 million
people in the country that are called 'limited-English proficient,' which means
that they don't speak English well or don't speak English at all. There are
almost 176 languages spoken in the United States today."
with clients whose first language is not English, Provenzano says, is an issue
for all service-oriented institutions. And in hospitals, he adds, the language
barrier can pose a serious challenge.
"A typical urban hospital, they may treat patients who speak 40 to 60
different language," he says. "So it's almost impossible for staff
internally to meet those interpreting needs. Some hospitals provide
professional interpreters or just rely on a family member or even a janitorial
because their knowledge of medical terminology is not been verified by any
regulating authority, the quality of communication can differ traumatically
and, in the case of diagnosis and treatment decisions, it could have a tragic
To make it easier for the health care industry to find professional
interpreters who understand the technical jargon, LLS recently launched the
International Registry of Certified Medical Interpreters.
the first industry resource of its kind to give health care organizations a
free online resource for identifying those professionals, medical interpreters,
and reviewing their language skills and credentials," Provenzano says.
Certified Spanish interpreter Susan Avila provides over-the-phone medical
translations. For almost 10 years, she says, she has facilitated communication
in a wide variety of cases.
could be anywhere from a little child getting his shots updated to something
very elaborate, as the explanation of a surgery," says Avila. "Or
maybe we have a psychological evaluation on a patient, and we have to be very
careful. Perhaps, we'll be in a delivery room where a mother is having
contractions, and we have to calm her down and give her the instructions on how
she is supposed to breath."
also trains other Spanish interpreters. She says becoming a certified medical
interpreter requires more than just fluency in a language.
order to receive medical calls, you have to meet very high standards," she
says. "You have to pass an exam after you have gone through the training.
We are also provided with medical, with glossaries. We visit Internet links
that have a lot of info.
then, we are constantly evaluated. We are supervised to see that we are
adhering to the terminology, to the protocol that we're managing the
challenging situations the way we're supposed to manage them."
Linguistic skills and knowledge of medical terminology is just one
component of what it takes to be a professional medical interpreter. Other
aspects, Avila adds, include an understanding of different cultural backgrounds
and the ability to deal with tough situations.
can soften our tone a little bit to give bad news, which we have to give many
times," Avila says. "I always tell interpreters our voice is our
biggest tool. It has to convey compassion. It has to convey kindness. It has to
tell the patient, 'We're here to help you.' We have to hug them, let's say,
over the phone."
to LLS President Louis Provenzano, regulating medical interpreting services is
essential to improving the health care system and ensuring equal opportunity
for all patients.
think a number of interpreter associations, a number of different organizations
like the Language Line Services, are really pushing Congress and legislators to
put various regulation on a national basis. I think there is a lot of work, a
lot of standards that are being developed so we can, in fact, have a unified
says he hopes that will allow health care professionals to focus on the medical
services without worrying about important bits of information getting lost in