The number of non-native English speakers in the United States now includes over 60 million people – nearly triple the number from just three decades ago. Spanish and Chinese are the most popular foreign languages spoken in U.S. homes. With roughly one-in-five Americans speaking another language at home, medical professionals are bound to encounter patients with whom it is difficult to communicate. Employing a medical interpreter is vital for situations like this, but it’s not just the interpreter who matters.
You can play an active role in helping to make your non-English speaking patients more comfortable by following these six tips:
1. Learn a few polite expressions
A simple ‘good morning’ or ‘thank you’ in the patient’s native language will go a long way toward improving your relationship and building trust. Having a medical interpreter on your staff will help ensure you are able to connect with your patients immediately.
2. Avoid slang
Use standard English to make sure your explanations and instructions will be understood correctly. For times when you don’t have your medical interpreter on hand, avoiding slang will allow you to speak more clearly and concisely.
3. Keep it simple
As with may have, the shorter the explanation, the better. Aim for words and phrases that are simple to understand and easily translated. Long explanations could lead the medical interpreter to summarize your words in a way that doesn’t fully express what you’re trying to say. At the same time, be careful not to patronize your patient!
4. Speak in full sentences
You may think it’s helpful to stop mid-sentence to allow the medical interpreter to catch up, but doing so may put information out of context and lead to a confusing or inaccurate oral translation.
5. Be culturally sensitive
Topics such as death, sexuality and women’s health must be addressed with care and respect, even with a medical interpreter present. Also, be careful about making jokes that might not translate well (or appropriately) into your patient’s native language.
6. Look at the medical interpreter
It’s very important to stay engaged while the medical interpreter is translating your words. Don’t look through charts, talk to others in the room or stare out the window. Instead, signal your interest by facing the interpreter while they’re talking.
About Us
At Morningside, we’ve been providing high-quality medical translation services for over 20 years, and we have obtained all three of the critical ISO certifications described above. Our quality assurance process includes many layers of controls, including editing and proofing with built-in redundancies. To learn more about our high-quality translations, contact us today.