如何认识和实施优质口译 (Hint: It Doesn’t Involve Your Bilingual Staff)
有一套合适的质量标准, it is possible to make healthcare accessible to limited English proficiency individuals without delaying patient care or interrupting your workflow.
多达… 十分之一的工作年龄成年人 在美国.S. 英语水平有限(LEP). 更不用说这一现实对个人就业和经济的影响了, 当LEP患者在医疗机构中没有充分代表时, 这个因素可以是一个生死攸关的问题.
It’s a scenario that plays out frequently in hospitals around the country: A patient who doesn’t speak English is left to rely on a well-intentioned, 但一个准备不足且未受过双语训练的家庭成员却无法解读医疗诊断. 结果从沮丧和不满到误诊甚至是悲剧.
可悲的是,不缺 比如威利·拉米雷斯的故事, a young man who was left paraplegic after a hospital visit because of the misinterpretation of the word intoxicado as “intoxicated” rather than its true meaning, 这意味着食物中毒. 根据… 2016年的调查 of 4,586家医院被美国医院协会永利登录网址, 只有56%的公司提供某种语言和翻译服务, 比五年前的54%略有改善.
Any clinic or organization that receives federal funds needs to be aware that, according to 1964年民权法案第六章在美国,每个人都必须能够获得服务,无论他们说什么语言. 此外, 《永利最新网址》第1557条 indicates that interpreters must demonstrate language proficiency in English and their non-English language, 专业术语知识, 以及对 医疗口译员的职业道德.
底线是:医疗保健不应该因为语言障碍而受到损害. 然而, 将近一半的美国.S. 医生 say language or other cultural barriers are obstacles to providing high-quality patient care. 为什么? 好吧, the logistics of planning and implementing professional interpreter services is certainly no easy task, but the problem many healthcare institutions face is being able to distinguish between quality healthcare interpreting and subpar language services.
测量语言能力
与未受过双语训练的人形成鲜明对比, 比如朋友和家人, qualified interpreters have completed formal training in ethics and standards for interpreters, 研究了医学术语和美国法律.S. 医疗保健系统, and had their language skills evaluated using a validated tool that is sure to provide an accurate, 使用既定量表客观衡量语言能力. 的 口语水平面试 美国外语教学委员会(American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages)提供的OPI就是这样一个工具. 测试可以外包, 然后就是简单地记录谁被评估了以及结果.
道德与保密
超越语言能力, 合格的口译员会知道当出现未知术语时该怎么做. 这就是道德发挥重要作用的地方, and the interpreter will know how to negotiate situations to make sure all information is communicated between parties.
当使用病人的家人和朋友作为翻译时,道德也会起作用. 与病人关系密切的人对病人的治疗结果有既得利益, 而口译员是中立的一方. 家庭成员和朋友的做法不仅使病人的护理处于危险之中, 但它也会让病人的亲人处于尴尬的境地. Imagine a child interpreting for her mother’s pelvic exam, or a friend interpreting bad news. 抛开那些术语, these untrained interpreters will likely alter the outcome of the interaction between patient and provider in some way, such as omitting information that they fear will be upsetting to their loved one or incorrectly interpreting a complex concept.
当朋友和家人为病人翻译时,保密也会发挥作用, as it may expose confidential information that the patient is not comfortable sharing with friends or family. Professional interpreters observe strict confidentiality so that patients may speak freely and without fear that their information will be shared outside of the treating team.
永利登录网址的翻译 go beyond basic training and have passed exams that demonstrate their competence to perform the specific task of interpreting in a medical setting. 他们还需要在专业发展中保持他们的永利登录网址, 所以你可以肯定他们在不断发展自己的技能. 而永利登录网址可用于有限语言的医疗口译员, 没有永利登录网址标准或法规要求永利登录网址.
双语工作人员可以起到促进作用,但需要培训
双语员工可以提高你提供语言服务的能力, 但他们必须表现出与合格口译员相同的能力. 例如,由于口译员必须至少接受40小时的培训(这符合 国家培训标准)加上使用经过验证的工具进行语言评估, then those standards must apply to your bilingual staff as well if they are to serve as interpreters.
请记住,即使是双语员工也不会翻译, 他们必须具备语言技能,以支持与LEP个人的安全沟通. Bilingual staff should still have their language skills formally evaluated if they’ll be performing their regular job duties in a non-English language environment.
It may be tempting to have your highly-skilled bilingual staff evaluate the language proficiency of fellow staff members in-house to save costs, 例如. 的 problem is that your in-house language proficiency evaluation capabilities are likely very limited. 虽然你可能有人可以评估你的西班牙语, 你可能无法覆盖所有的语言. It’s best to measure language proficiency in a way that assures all bilingual staff members are being evaluated with the same tool.
开发口译服务项目最好是一个过程
质量标准可以写入您工厂的口译员使用政策中, which can include specific information regarding language proficiency and training requirements for anyone serving as an interpreter. 一旦确立为政策, the information is easy to distribute to clinical staff and can help guide you as you recruit interpreters and vendors. Establishing quality standards is the foundation for planning and implementing a language access plan that will bring the proper level of interpreter services where they’re needed.
Overcoming language barriers to make healthcare accessible to everyone is more than the right thing to do; quality standards for interpreter services exist to make sure patients remain at the center of their care, 有机会接触到他们的医疗服务提供者. 有一套合适的质量标准, it is possible to make healthcare accessible to LEP individuals without delaying patient care or interrupting your workflow.
作者简介
莉斯本文 是一名拥有近二十年医疗保健经验的西班牙语-英语口译员, 法庭和活动设置. 她的学位是B.A. in Spanish from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis and is an active member of the 永利登录网址, 这代表了将近10,遍布103个国家的1000名笔译和口译员.
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ATA provides content for professional and trade publications to spread insight to a wide range of readers. 本文刊登于以下刊物:
- MedCity新闻 (2020年2月)
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