According to the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 24 million Americans are considered to qualify as limited english proficiency patients (LEPs). LEP’s experience health disparities caused by a decreased access to medical services, decreased comprehension regarding their office visits and poorer outcomes. It is important for LEP’s to fully understand their healthcare and be able to communicate with their healthcare practitioners fully, which brings us to the role of the medical interpreter

medical interpreters translate between medical providers and patients. Also called language access providers, medical interpreters help individual patients who may have trouble speaking or understanding English. Medical interpreters may work in physician offices, hospitals or nursing homes translating medical information into the native language of non-english speakers. They play a critical role in making sure patients understand medical-related instructions, medical procedures, treatment and medical advice from providers. Not only do medical interpreters translate information from a provider to patient, but they also translate patient questions and concerns back to the providers.

In addition to translating with providers and medical staff, medical interpreters translate various documents such as medical intake forms, consent forms, insurance and billing documents, medication information and pamphlets. Medical interpreters may also facilitate follow-up medical care by translating during phone calls, conducting reminder calls and accompanying patients to appointments.

It is important to understand that medical interpreters must adhere to confidentiality laws as well as policies of individual entities where they are translating. Medical interpreters are usually well versed in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) which is a federal law that protects individual health information of patients.

Medical Interpreter Requirements and Qualifications

In order to work as a medical interpreter, the candidate must be fluent in English and another language. Two or more languages are preferred. They need to be able to translate medical terms, medical information, treatments, procedures, etc.

Medical interpreters must have a high school diploma or GED as a minimum requirement. Coursework in college-level language coursework is helpful. Coursework for medical interpretation may include medical terminology, foundations of interpretation, medical ethics and interpreting in medical specializations. There are many live and online programs throughout the country offering certificates and associate’s degrees in medical interpretation.

There are two national certifications in the United States. These include Certified Healthcare Interpreter (CorCHI) and Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI). The CHI follows the guidelines of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI). They offer a 100 question certifying exam. An additional oral exam is required for certain languages such as Spanish and Arabic. The CMI follows guidelines from the National Board for Certified Medical Interpreters (NBCMI). The CMI consists of a written exam for interpretation in the following languages: Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese and Cantonese.

Washington state allows additional testing than those listed above. If a candidate passes both the written and oral exams from UniversalLanguage Service, they can apply for the DSHS LTC. ALTA Language Services is another acceptable credentialing service for Washington citizens. The candidate must pass all three exams (English Reading Comprehension, Medical Interpretation and English Medical Interpretation Code of Ethics) to apply for a DSHS medical interpreter credential.

All exams mentioned do require continuing education credits in order to maintain certification. The continuing education requirement for the CoreCHI credential is 32 hours in 4 years. The other exams have similar requirements.

Some medical interpreters may be interested in translating for speakers of American Sign Language (ASL). In these cases, a certification as an International Service Provider (ISP) through the International Medical Interpretation Association (IMIA) is required.

Attributions

1. Figure 10.2: image released under the Pexels License