“As our healthcare system adapts to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse society, we must recognize that gaps in understanding – driven by language and culture – often leave patients and providers feeling that something is lost in translation.”

Last April we reported on a study conducted at two pediatric ERs that found that mistakes which could have "clinical consequences," like giving the wrong dose of medication, were about twice as likely if there were no medical interpreters available or if the language translator was an amateur.

But as Dr. Kiran Gupta has learned, “sometimes the barrier between patient and provider is greater than language alone, one that no interpreter, regardless of how skilled or compassionate he or she may be, can surmount.”

Dr. Gupta, a medical doctor and former columnist for the Financial Times Weekend Magazine, believes that professionalizing medical interpretation is essential to provide care for a growing non-English speaking population. But a holistic approach is also required in treating such patients, in order to engage with their families and friends who may serve as essential links in bridging communication divides.

“As physicians, we are advised not to allow our patients’ friends or family members to act as translators. In addition to lacking the linguistic capability to translate complex medical terms, they may let their emotions, personal beliefs or biases get in the way. But sometimes, these individuals can help us bridge underlying cultural divides with non-English speaking patients and provide essential context that professional medical interpreters alone cannot,” says Gupta.

Dr. Gupta uses the example of one of her first primary care patients. Several of this patient’s family members had experienced negative interactions with the healthcare system in their native country, leaving her patient with tremendous distrust for medications and tests. But after deliberating with his daughter, he finally agreed to start taking at least some of his vital medications regularly.

“I now know that he didn’t agree with everything I was conveying through the interpreter, but a deeper transformation in his understanding – and our relationship – has begun, thanks to context his daughter has provided,” she said.

By Alex Dupont
Marketing Communications Specialist
Language Translation Inc.

See Also

• Language translation can be an important component of proper health care
  Translation is the act of rewriting a document, changing it into another language.
• Medical interpretation may not be all that is required in order to communicate with a patient
  Effective medical interpretation helps build bridges to better health care.
• The barrier between doctors and non-English speaking patients can be greater than language alone
  Kiran Gupta writes about her experiences as a resident in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital.