Key Concepts (printable)
Medical Interpretation Definition:
The act of receiving a message about health care in one language and sending exactly the same message in another language through a verbal exchange. The goal is to exchange messages that are understood by all parties.
Examples: Examine Medical Interpretation in the following examples:
Example 1: A person who comes to the clinic and does not speak English proficiently needs medical interpretation services.
Example 2: The need for medical interpretation is increasing in the American health care system due to the increasing cultural diversity. Healthcare providers need an accurate and confidential method to communicate with all of their clients to provide equal access to healthcare.
Application: Medical interpretation is an essential component of culturally competent health care.
English Language Learners (ELL) Definition: Individuals who are not fluent in the English language and are in the process of learning the language.
Examples: Examples of English Language Learners (ELL) are:
Example 1: These individuals may possess “survival Language” skills or those language skills and functions that allow individuals to communicate in everyday social contexts that are similar to those of the home.
Example 2: English Language Learners are on a continuum from those with Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) to those with Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP)
Application: It may take as long as seven years to become proficient in another language, so it is important to speak carefully when conversing with an ELL as this person may not understand medical terms or other “American” terms that are commonly used.
Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Definition: A legal concept that describes individuals that do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English
Examples: Examples of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) are:
Example 1: A person is a first generation immigrant to the United States and speaks English only haltingly.
Example 2: Second or later generation immigrants who live in an ethnic enclave.
A person is not confident of his/her English speaking skills and requests the services of an interpreter.Example 3: A person demonstrates a lack of understanding of correct English usage (such as incorrectly using the negative case by using double negatives.
Example 4: A person nods or says, “yes” to all comments and questions but appears not to fully understand.
Application: The Civil Rights Act Guidance indicates that LEP individuals may be eligible to receive language assistance with respect to a particular type of service, benefit, or encounter.
Qualified Medical Interpreters Definition: An individual who has proven he or she is linguistically competent in English and a second language in medical terminology, and who has received training in ethics, cultural competency or bridging, confidentiality, impartiality, professionalism, liability of interpretation. It is also important that a medical interpreter receive on going training.
Examples: Examples of Qualified Medical Interpreters are:
Example 1: A qualified medical interpreter is someone who has been trained to provide interpreter services to clients of a healthcare organization. This person has a formal relationship (job, consultant, volunteer) with the organization. A qualified medical interpreter is not a family member or a child.
Application: A qualified medical interpreter has the following skills: a very good command of both languages and cultures; excellent memory and concentration; the ability to find culturally equivalent means of expressing terms when there are no equivalent words and training in medical terminology.