Why Medical Interpreters are Essential to Healthcare

Imagine you’re in a hospital suffering from a deadly medical condition in a foreign country with no relatives or friends nearby. Now imagine doctors trying to explain to you a life-or-death decision in a language you don’t understand. Not only do you not understand a single word the doctor says, but you’re sick, scared, and overwhelmed. This is the harsh reality for millions of individuals in the U.S. who don’t speak English well. However, one often overlooked health profession comes to save the day: medical interpreters. These health professionals work diligently to bridge that communication gap like the one in the scenario above. Far beyond simply translating words from one language to another, they ensure that patients and healthcare workers truly understand one another. In the U.S. alone, over 25 million people have limited proficiency in English emphasizing how critical these workers are to the healthcare field.

Often people confuse a medical interpreter with a translator; however, these are two distinct professions. Specifically, interpreters deal with spoken words while translators work with written words. They frequently interpret in real-time during medical visits, emergency room situations, and even during surgeries. Though it may seem that knowing a few languages is enough, interpreting requires a great deal of detail to ensure that only neutral, accurate language is being used. This ensures that there are no opinions or edits in the interpreter's speech and, moreover, prevents bias from impacting a patient’s decision. 

In everyday life, miscommunication can occur, but usually there’s no large detriment to anyone involved. For example, let’s say I tell a friend to take a right on a certain road and walk down 2 blocks to get to our local library. However, my friend heard take a left instead of a right, so he ended up at our local Kroger. Of course, my friend would likely find this incredibly frustrating and might even yell at me later, but is that kind of miscommunication truly life-altering? Not at all. Unfortunately, in healthcare a lack of proper communication can lead to serious health issues. In 1980, Willie Ramirez, who was an 18-year-old baseball player from Cuba and lived in South Florida, collapsed with a severe headache. His Spanish-speaking family described him as “intoxicado” which is a Cuban Spanish term indicating that he felt sick from something ingested such as food poisoning. When he arrived at the hospital, a bilingual staff member translated it to mean intoxicated from a drug or alcohol overdose. Consequently, the medical team delayed their brain scans and failed to notice that Ramirez had a bleeding brain, also known as an intracerebral hemorrhage, until it was too late. Two days later, he was left quadriplegic. Ultimately, his family won a $71 million settlement, making it one of the most expensive interpreting errors in US medical history. This goes to show how vital it is that we have healthcare professionals who take this role seriously in order to prevent cases like this again.

So, what key things do medical Interpreters focus on to protect patient rights? First, they can work to ensure that patients can give informed consent, that is, truly understand their condition and treatment options before agreeing to anything. Without being properly informed, that patient might make a decision that they might not have agreed with because they were missing an important piece of information. Next, interpreters must also follow stringent rules to keep their patients’ health information safe. On top of that, they also do their best to keep their own biases out of the conversation. Finally, they assist in making sure that regardless of what language they speak, each patient gets fair, respectful, and ethical care. 

These protections are critical, but how effective are medical interpreters in real situations? The statistics speak for themselves. According to a study by Flores, G. in 2005 from the Journal of Migration and Health, Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients with professional interpreters have better care quality and the fewest interpreter errors. Furthermore, this has been seen to bring care for LEP patients to a level that is nearly or equal to that for patients without language barriers. Additionally, in a study by Lindholm, M. et al. in 2012, 30-day readmission rates to a hospital dropped from 17.8% to 13.4% after a hospital began consistently offering medical interpretation services. What’s more is that as seen in a study by Karliner et al. in 2017, the estimated net savings of bedside interpreter phones is over $1.29 million or about $161,404 after accounting for interpreter service costs.

As I mentioned earlier, it takes more than just being bilingual to become a medical interpreter. It requires them to have communication skills, medical knowledge and cultural sensitivity. Of course, they must be fluent in at least two languages (the languages that are in high demand are Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, American Sign Language), but they must be trained to handle high-pressure situations and be familiar with healthcare terms like “hypertension” or “informed consent.” They will also need a minimum of a high school diploma or GED as well as completion of a 40-hour medical interpreter training program. Typically, many professionals get certified by passing written and oral exams through the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) or the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI). Finally, they are often trained in HIPAA and fully understand the rules to keep their patients' information safe. Whether you’re a middle school, high school, or college student reading this, a career in medical interpretation could be your cup of tea. If you already speak another language and are passionate about healthcare, this profession gives you a way to make a true impact without needing years upon years of medical school. It’s a position where you can be the difference between a patient dying or returning home to their family. It’s a position where you can advocate for equity in healthcare and build a fulfilling career in an expanding field. Regardless of your age or experience, it's never too early or too late to explore how your skills can impact your community.

Yonathan Bezza - President