Medical interpreters help patients, doctors communicate
The demand for trained interpreters to help doctors and patients communicate is growing.
By Kirsti Marohn and Stephanie Dickrell, USA TODAY
Going to the doctor can be an uncomfortable and intimidating experience. But imagine if you couldn't communicate with your doctor or nurse to describe your symptoms or explain your medical history.
As the nation becomes more diverse, demand for trained, skilled interpreters to help doctors and patients communicate — and avoid potentially deadly misunderstandings — is growing.
Health care regulations require medical providers who receive federal funding to provide interpreters. There's also growing research on the effects of bad communication on patient safety, said Izabel Arocha, executive director of the International Medical Interpreters Association.
"There's just been a huge increase in awareness that has changed these practices," Arocha said.
Read more: Medical interpreters help patients, doctors communicate
How accurately do you communicate Medical terminology?
The international language around the world may be English but not in the world of health care. You need to know another language called medical terminology. It is all about medicines, body and its connected ailments.
Fluency in this language is a must for those who work in this field. Not an easy task, but you need it. Asking why? Well, it is because many terms in the medical world seems and sounds similar, but they are way different from each other.
For example, the doctor advises the nurse to prepare for a colonoscopy session and she brings the tools necessary for an oral surgery. When asked why, she replied, “Doc, you had asked to prepare for a colonoscopy. So that is what I did.”
Read more: How accurately do you communicate Medical terminology?