Hospitals need medical interpreters for many reasons. Mostly, it is to ensure that the patients are given proper treatment.

Being able to communicate to the physician what you feel is essential to ensure that you will be diagnosed correctly and be given the right medication. Sadly, not everyone has the ability to do this. In fact, according to Izabel Arocha of the International Medical Interpreters Association, research shows that bad communication pose great risks on patient safety. With the growing number of people coming from other countries migrating to the US or other developed countries, hospitals need to employ medical interpreters to ensure that patients who have a different native language will be able to express themselves well. In fact, in one of the bigger hospitals in Sacramento, California, 30%-35% of the patients have limited English speaking skills. If these patients are not given an interpreter, they might not be given the right attention.

Risks Involved in the Absence of a Medical Interpreter

Though there were a lot of reported cases of physicians not being able to handle their patients well because of language barrier, there has been no reported death yet. However, this does not make the situation any less alarming. In fact, there were several cases in which treatment was delayed since the physician could not provide a correct diagnosis. Interviewing the patients and asking them about what they feel play a crucial role in making a diagnosis. If the patient is not able to express what he or she feels, then the parents or any close relative might be involved. Sadly, in most cases, if the patient is unable to speak English, the rest of the family can’t either.

Aside from delayed treatment, another risk is misdiagnosis. The physician might rely on other signs and symptoms to diagnose. Since the actual illness cannot be confirmed due to the failure of the patient to express through words, the physician won’t be able to make the best and most precise decision.

The worst part is that when you are sick, you also want to feel that people around you understand you. Being taken care of in an emotional level helps a lot in order to ease the pain. If the physician or other medical workers cannot understand what you say, then you won’t feel well about what is going on. This will most likely delay the healing process. There are patients who could have recovered faster. However, since they have emotional burdens as well, their condition has gotten worse.

What Hospitals Need to Do

The reason why hospitals don’t deploy medical interpreters is because they are afraid to spend a lot. Medical interpreters are usually hired for a full time job. This means that they are also entitled to other benefits bestowed upon medical workers. In order for hospital owners to save money, they need to find someone who is fluent in more than just one foreign language. By then, more patients will be covered by one medical translator. Current medical workers who have inclination in foreign language learning may also be sent to after work classes in language centers so they can eventually qualify as medical interpreters. Most of all, there must be a clear record on what language is highly required so it will be the priority when searching for a medical interpreter.

Hospitals must do something to address this issue before it is too late. If only medical interpreters are everywhere, treatment of patients could have gotten a lot faster.