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The following frequently asked
questions regarding telephone interpreting in
health care settings by author Nataly
Kelly, should be helpful for
interpreters, language service companies, and
health care providers who wish to learn more
about telephone interpreting, as well
as its
potential benefits and limitations in health
care scenarios.
When is telephone interpreting preferable
to face-to-face interpreting?
Telephone interpreting is preferable to
face-to-face interpreting in the following
health care situations:
1. When both parties (patient and
provider) are already communicating via
telephone. Face-to-face interpreting is
not a practical option when the primary
interaction is taking place via telephone, so
telephone interpreting is advisable in these
cases. With the rise of telemedicine and a
variety of services being provided over the
telephone, these situations are increasingly
common. For example, when patients call
appointment lines, triage lines, nurse advice
lines, and other numbers for service over the
telephone, telephone interpreting is the best
option.
2. When trained interpreters are not
available in person. When it comes to
choosing among the patient's family member,
friend, an untrained bilingual staff member,
or a telephone interpreting service, it is
usually preferable to choose the interpreting
service. This assumes, of course, that the
telephone interpreting service being used has
professional, trained interpreters. Most
health care organizations ensure this through
the process of procuring a service provider.
You also may ask the individual telephone
interpreter what kind of training he or she
has received, and what professional standards
of practice he or she observes.
3. When it is preferable not to have
another party in the room. Depending on
cultural, religious, and individual
preferences, some patients may prefer not to
have another person physically present in the
room, especially when discussing sexual
health issues. Some patients may fear
judgment from another member of their
culture, a member of the opposite gender, or
speaker of their language. Conversely,
however, some patients may have a greater
sense of trust when an interpreter is present
in person. Patient preferences may vary even
among groups of speakers of the same
language. Each circumstance is different, but
it is worth considering that the anonymity of
a telephone interpreter can be an advantage
at times, especially where modesty might be a
consideration.
©2007 Nataly Kelly, reprinted with
permission
from the author. Originally published in the
ATA Chronicle, Journal of the American
Translators Association, June 2007, Vol.
XXXVI, No. 6.
About the Author:
Nataly Kelly is a nationally recognized
independent consultant on issues of language
interpretation and translation. A former
Fulbright scholar in sociolinguistics, she is
a certified court interpreter
(English/Spanish) and has worked widely in
the field
of community interpreting and translation.
With more than a decade of professional
experience in the telephone interpreting
industry, Ms. Kelly is the author of the
first major book on the subject, "Telephone
Interpreting: A Comprehensive Guide to the
Profession" (Multilingual Matters, UK). She
is a board member of the National Council on
Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC), and
serves on the interpreter certification
committee for the American Translators
Association (ATA).
Electronic copies of this guide for
educational purposes may be downloaded
at no
charge from The American Translators Association
The
American Translators Association
or by e-mailing the author at
natalyekelly@yahoo.com.
