I was recently reading an article about translation services at hospitals. Hospitals are beginning to use professional translators to address the needs of rapidly growing immigrant populations. These translators’ roles in the hospital extend well beyond simply translating doctors’ diagnoses and patients’ concerns. They also break down the cultural barriers that can isolate patients. I can only imagine coming into an American hospital not knowing English while doctors and nurses scurried around sticking IVs in me. Regardless of whether or not someone knows what is happening because of the translator, if they feel culturally alienated and as though they are in an entirely unfamiliar world, I think unease would be the mildest way to describe their emotions. Translators also act as cultural liaisons for patients, so that they don’t feel so cut off. Because of the immense benefits of translators in hospitals, Bill Clinton, when President, signed an executive order requiring all hospitals, clinics, and doctors accepting federal funds to have translation services. The state of New York recently extended this requirement to all hospitals, including private practices. Interestingly, there is no national certification for this job. Given the importance and subtleties of the profession, there most certainly should be one, complete with standards for medical translators.
The importance of translators and the concurrent usefulness of these actions by President Clinton and the state of New York seem obvious. Yet, not everyone agrees. Some argue that family translators are better than professionals because they “represent the family to the best degree they can.” However, there are several reasons why family translators cannot be depended to translate in a hospital situation. First, they often don’t know medical terminology in both languages, and they therefore cannot translate accurately. Second, because family translators are emotionally invested in the patient, they will sometimes withhold or change a doctor’s words to protect the patient from painful news. But this patient has a right to know what is happening to his or her body. Conflicts of interest and ethical issues can also arise with the use of family translators. For instance, an abusive husband might be called upon to translate for his battered wife. The use of professional translators solves all of these problems.
Some people also argue that the government should not interfere with the business of health care. Rather, if there is a monetary demand for translators, then hospitals will respond or else they will suffer financially. One article gives the example that “no federal bureaucrat ordered Coca-Cola distributors to start running ads in Spanish. There was no need.” There is a tremendous difference between the Coca-Cola retail industry and the health care field. Coca-Cola doesn’t address something so profoundly fundamental to people’s wellbeing as their health (in fact, it almost does the opposite). Health care is so central to people’s lives that it should not be solely motivated by financial reasons. That’s why health care is one of the most socialized industries, even in free-market economies. Also, financial motivation will not lead to an influx of medical translators. The people who reap the benefits of translators tend to be of lower socioeconomic classes. So despite arguments to the contrary, requiring all hospitals to have translation services is an excellent idea that will only improve the quality of health care for those who need it the most.
Nanders
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-interpret_bd21oct21,1,1529405.story
http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_5205723,00.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14838695/
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Sep-03-Fri-2004/opinion/24671060.html
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/news/lack_of_translators_at_hospital_put_immigrant_s_lives_at_risk.htm
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
I completely agree with you that the field of medicine should not always be subject of the rules of the free market. We often talked about language as a comfort zone for people and I think it is almost impossible to trust a doctor if you feel like you cannot communicate with him. My mom (she grew up in Poland) works as a dentist in Berlin but I think more than half of her patients are Polish immigrants. Most of them are fluent in German but they still feel more comfortable when they are able to use their native language.
Phillip
I wrote a post a little while back about language in emergency situations, such as with EMS crews and paramedics. I think the same dangers apply here - it is necessary sometimes to obtain crucial information related to health that can be lost in translation. I agree with you in that I think hospital translators provide a service necessary to saving lives.
I agree that they are necessary for hospitals, and I think it is important to further analyze where these translators come from. I agree with the idea of non-family translators, so they have to come from some sort of training background. Where will we get them? How can they be certified? Any idea for a program? I think it would be interesting to allow people to move to the US if they would go through a specific program that taught them English, gave them a job in the medical field, and they are "required" to have this job for, say five years (pay for training and citizenship costs.)
Great post and discussion. Check out the other blogs on this topic, too!
Post a Comment