Communication is a vital component for ensuring effective delivery of healthcare. According to medical columnist Lauren Nelson, “Effective communication in the healthcare industry is incredibly important in aiding in the correct diagnosis of an individual’s condition” (www.ehow.com, 2011). The complexity and depth of knowledge and skills required of interpreters working in healthcare settings has not been well documented or widely appreciated in the field of interpreting. The NCIEC, through the early work of the CATIE Center at St. Catherine University and in collaboration with the Regional Interpreter Education Center at Northeastern University from 2005 to 2010, set out to lay the foundation for the development of curriculum and instructional programs in the interpreting specialization areas of medical and mental health, addiction and recovery interpreting.
About the Healthcare Interpreter
Healthcare interpreting is a serious enterprise. Errors in communication can pose risks to patients and liability to the healthcare provider. Interpreters working in healthcare settings often become an essential member of the healthcare provider team. To function effectively, interpreters need to be familiar with specialized medical vocabulary and discourse; healthcare settings, systems, and personnel; be able to negotiate professional relationships both with patients and healthcare providers; and be prepared to face diverse ethical challenges.
Healthcare interpreters may work in a variety of health care settings: hospitals, clinics, mental health and substance abuse facilities, private physicians’ offices, rehabilitation centers, domestic violence programs, and nursing homes. At times, interpreters may encounter the interface of healthcare and legal interpreting, for example, in work with forensic services. In addition, more and more healthcare interpreting is performed as a video remote service.
Since few undergraduate interpreting programs offer a focus on healthcare interpreting, practitioners interested in working in this setting pursue specialized training through workshops, online instruction, and mentorship. Certification and several years of general interpreting experience lay a strong foundation for a specialization in healthcare interpreting.
Consortium’s Work on Healthcare Interpreting
The CATIE Center at St. Catherine University leads the efforts of the NCIEC initiative identifying and promoting effective practices for sign language interpreters working in the healthcare setting. The work began in 2006 as two separate initiatives led by the CATIE Center and the Regional Interpreter Education Center at Northeastern University, respectively. Each team engaged groups of experts and other stakeholders to identify the issues, review relevant curricula and literature on spoken and signed language interpreting, and draft domains and competencies upon which to build instructional programs. Drafts of the domains and competencies for each area were reviewed by Deaf and hearing interpreters.
Mental Health Interpreting Domains and Competencies
Medical Interpreting Domains and Competencies
In 2007, having identified a core of competencies common to both medical and mental healthcare interpreting, the two initiatives consolidated their efforts. The team developed a concept map for eight instructional modules addressing both the common core and distinctive features of medical and mental healthcare interpreting. Online instruction on ethics in healthcare interpreting was offered in 2010. The team also developed guidelines for infusing healthcare interpreting content into interpreting education program curricula.
Much of the ongoing work of the Consortium’s Healthcare Interpreting initiative can be found at healthcareinterpreting.org. The site has become the centerpiece of the CATIE Center’s work and NCIEC initiative in the area of healthcare interpreting. First launched in 2003 by the CATIE Center and funded through a grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, HealthcareInterpreting.org has continued to expand through the support of RSA funding and the efforts of the NCIEC Healthcare Interpreting work team. The site is an important national resource for interpreting practitioners and educators, healthcare providers, and patients to can find helpful resources in text and video. The website offers individuals new products, resources, case studies and learning opportunities including a growing series of online modules.
For additional sources of information on Healthcare Interpreting for interpreters, educators, patients, and providers,
visit Resources.