Skip to content
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Join ATA
  • Renew
  • Shop ATAware
  • Contact Us
  • Log In Welcome, My Account
American Translators Association (ATA)
Find a Language Professional
  • Certification
    • Certification
      • Guide to ATA Certification
      • What is a Certified Translation?
      • How the Exam is Graded
      • Review and Appeal Process
      • Looking for more information?
    • Taking the Exam
      • About the Exam
      • How to Prepare
      • Practice Test
      • Exam Schedule
    • Already Certified?
      • Put Your Credentials To Work
      • Continuing Education Requirement
    • Register Buttons
      • Register for Exam
         
      • Order Practice Test
  • Career and Education
    • For Newcomers
      • Student Resources
      • Starting Your Career
      • The Savvy Newcomer Blog
    • For Professionals
      • Growing Your Career
      • Business Strategies
      • Next Level Blog
      • Client Outreach Kit
      • Mentoring
    • Resources
      • For Educators and Trainers
      • Tools and Technology
      • Publications
      • School Outreach
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA66
      • Upcoming Webinars
  • Client Assistance
    • Client Resources
      • Why Should I Hire a Professional?
      • Translator vs. Interpreter
      • Buying Language Services
    • More Client Resources
      • Need a Certified Translation?
      • What is Machine Translation?
      • The ATA Compass Blog
    • Find a Translator Button
      • Find a Language Professional
  • Events
    • Events
      • Annual Conference
      • Free Events for ATA Members
      • Certification Exam Schedule
    • More Events
      • Virtual Workshops and Events
      • Live and On-Demand Webinars
      • Calendar of Events
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA66
      • Upcoming Webinars
         
  • News
    • Industry News
    • Advocacy and Outreach
    • The ATA Chronicle
    • The ATA Podcast
    • ATA Newsbriefs
    • Press Releases
  • Member Center
    • Member Resources
      • Join ATA
      • Renew Your Membership
      • Benefits of Membership
      • Divisions & Special Interest Groups
      • Chapters, Affiliates, Partners, and Other Groups
      • Get Involved
      • Member Discounts
      • Shop ATAware
    • Already a Member?
      • Member Login
      • Connect with Members
      • Credentialed Interpreter Designation
      • Become a Voting Member
      • Submit Member News
      • Submit Your Event
      • Contact Us
    • Member Buttons
  • About Us
    • About ATA
      • Who We Are
      • Honors and Awards Program
      • Advertise with Us
      • Media Kit
    • How ATA Works
      • Board of Directors
      • Committees
      • Policies & Procedures
      • Code of Ethics
      • ATA Team
    • Contact Button
      • Contact ATA
  • Join ATA
  • Renew Your Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Log In
  • Find a Language Professional
The ATA Compass: Your guide to translation and interpreting in the global market

How to Recognize and Implement Quality Interpreting (Hint: It Doesn’t Involve Your Bilingual Staff)

April 26, 2023 | ATA Compass | No Comments | Client Assistance, Public Outreach
How to Recognize and Implement Quality Interpreting

With a set of quality standards in place, it is possible to make healthcare accessible to limited English proficiency individuals without delaying patient care or interrupting your workflow.

As many as 1 in 10 working-age adults in the U.S. has limited English proficiency (LEP). Let alone the personal employment and economic implications of this reality, when LEP patients are inadequately represented in healthcare settings, the factor can literally be a matter of life or death.

It’s a scenario that plays out frequently in hospitals around the country: A patient who doesn’t speak English is left to rely on a well-intentioned, but an ill-prepared and untrained bilingual family member to interpret a medical diagnosis. The results range from frustration and dissatisfaction to misdiagnosis and even tragedy.

Sadly, there is no shortage of stories like that of Willie Ramirez, a young man who was left paraplegic after a hospital visit because of the misinterpretation of the word intoxicado as “intoxicated” rather than its true meaning, which implies food poisoning. According to a 2016 survey of 4,586 hospitals by the American Hospital Association, just 56 percent offered some sort of linguistic and translation services, a very slight improvement over the 54 percent recorded five years earlier.

Any clinic or organization that receives federal funds needs to be aware that, according to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, everyone must be able to access services, no matter what language they speak. In addition, Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act indicates that interpreters must demonstrate language proficiency in English and their non-English language, knowledge of specialized terminology, and an understanding of ethics for healthcare interpreters.

The bottom line: health care should not be compromised because of language barriers. Yet, nearly half of U.S. physicians say language or other cultural barriers are obstacles to providing high-quality patient care. Why? Well, the logistics of planning and implementing professional interpreter services is certainly no easy task, but the problem many healthcare institutions face is being able to distinguish between quality healthcare interpreting and subpar language services.

Measuring Language Proficiency

In direct contrast with untrained bilingual individuals, such as friends and family members, qualified interpreters have completed formal training in ethics and standards for interpreters, studied medical terminology and the U.S. healthcare system, and had their language skills evaluated using a validated tool that is sure to provide an accurate, objective measure of language proficiency using an established scale. The Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) offered by the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages is one such tool. Testing can be outsourced, and then it’s simply a matter of keeping a record of who has been evaluated and the results.

Ethics and Confidentiality

Beyond language proficiency, qualified interpreters will understand what to do when an unknown term comes up. This is where ethics play an important role, and the interpreter will know how to negotiate situations to make sure all information is communicated between parties.

Ethics also come into play when using the patient’s family and friends as interpreters. People close to the patient have a vested interest in the outcome of their care, while an interpreter is a neutral party. Not only does the practice of family members and friends put the patient’s care at risk, but it can also put the patient’s loved ones in an awkward position. Imagine a child interpreting for her mother’s pelvic exam, or a friend interpreting bad news. Terminology aside, these untrained interpreters will likely alter the outcome of the interaction between patient and provider in some way, such as omitting information that they fear will be upsetting to their loved one or incorrectly interpreting a complex concept.

Confidentiality also comes into play when friends and family interpret for patients, as it may expose confidential information that the patient is not comfortable sharing with friends or family. Professional interpreters observe strict confidentiality so that patients may speak freely and without fear that their information will be shared outside of the treating team.

Certified interpreters go beyond basic training and have passed exams that demonstrate their competence to perform the specific task of interpreting in a medical setting. They are also required to maintain their certification with professional development, so you can be sure they’re continually developing their skill sets. While certification is available for interpreters in healthcare in limited languages, there is no accreditation standard or statute that requires certification.

Bilingual staff members can be a boost, but training is required

Bilingual staff members can enhance your ability to provide language services, but they must demonstrate the same competencies as qualified interpreters. For example, since interpreters must have at least 40 hours of training (which meets national training standards) plus a language evaluation using a validated tool, then those standards must apply to your bilingual staff as well if they are to serve as interpreters.

Keep in mind that even if bilingual staff members won’t be interpreting, they must have the language skills to support safe communication with LEP individuals. Bilingual staff should still have their language skills formally evaluated if they’ll be performing their regular job duties in a non-English language environment.

It may be tempting to have your highly-skilled bilingual staff evaluate the language proficiency of fellow staff members in-house to save costs, for example. The problem is that your in-house language proficiency evaluation capabilities are likely very limited. While you may have someone who can evaluate for Spanish, you probably won’t be able to cover all languages. It’s best to measure language proficiency in a way that assures all bilingual staff members are being evaluated with the same tool.

Developing an interpreter services program is best approached as a process

Quality standards can be written into your facility’s Interpreter Use Policy, which can include specific information regarding language proficiency and training requirements for anyone serving as an interpreter. Once established as a policy, the information is easy to distribute to clinical staff and can help guide you as you recruit interpreters and vendors. Establishing quality standards is the foundation for planning and implementing a language access plan that will bring the proper level of interpreter services where they’re needed.

Overcoming language barriers to make healthcare accessible to everyone is more than the right thing to do; quality standards for interpreter services exist to make sure patients remain at the center of their care, with meaningful access to their healthcare providers. With a set of quality standards in place, it is possible to make healthcare accessible to LEP individuals without delaying patient care or interrupting your workflow.

By Liz Essary


About the Author

Liz Essary is a Spanish-to-English interpreter with nearly two decades of experience in healthcare, court and event settings. She holds a B.A. in Spanish from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis and is an active member of the American Translators Association, which represents nearly 10,000 translators and interpreters across 103 countries.


ATA is Making News

ATA provides content for professional and trade publications to spread insight to a wide range of readers. This article appears in the following publication(s):

  • MedCity News (February 2020)
Share this

Posts navigation

← Machine Translation vs. Human Translation: Will Artificial Intelligence Replace the World’s Second Oldest Profession?
How Much Does a Translation Cost? →

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply





I accept the Privacy Policy

Language Services Directory

Find the translator or interpreter that meets your needs. Customize your search by language, specialties, location, credentials, and more.
Start Your Search

Subscribe to The ATA Compass



Connect with The ATA Compass

Contact Us

Recent Posts

The High Stakes of Legal Interpretation: Why You Need a Certified Court Interpreter in Colorado
Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and Language Access: Who, What, How
Video Game Localization: Q&A with Expert Marina Ilari (Part 2)
Video Game Localization: Q&A with Expert Marina Ilari (Part 1)
Why Translators & Interpreters with Disabilities Can Make a Difference
Want Your Children’s Book Translated into Another Language? Answer These 7 Questions First!
Guide to Buying Translation Services, Part IV: Terms to Know
Guide to Buying Translation Services, Part III: ATA Certification and Legal Considerations
What is Transcription and Why Does it Matter?
VRI vs VSI Interpreting: A Guide for Language Service Users
Why You Should Use a Certified Translator or Interpreter

Why You Should Use a Certified Translator or Interpreter

Choosing a Certified Professional is the Smart Choice A certified translator or interpreter ensures effective, accurate, and culturally sensitive communication that truly bridges the gap between languages and cultures. Accuracy…

Read More
Why Should I Hire a Professional?

Why Should I Hire a Professional?

It takes more than just the ability to understand two languages. Professional translators and interpreters have the education, experience, and expertise to understand the nuances in one language and transfer…

Read More
Find a Translator or Interpreter Near You

Find a Translator or Interpreter Near You

Searching for a Nearby Translator or Interpreter? Whether you require accurate document translations, real-time interpreting for an event, or specialized industry expertise, finding the right professional near you has never…

Read More
Client Assistance

Client Assistance

Can I afford to hire a professional? You can’t afford NOT to. Poor translation and interpreting services can be disastrous for your business. See what’s at stake. Learn More What’s…

Read More

Language Services Directory

Start Your Search ATA’s Language Services Directory includes a list of all ATA members of individuals, as well as companies. Need help finding the right professional? Professional translators and interpreters…

Read More
Exploring Translation and Interpreting Services

Exploring Translation and Interpreting Services

Why Are Language Services Essential in an Internationalized World? In a world where communication knows no bounds, effective language services are paramount. ATA helps you find professional translators and interpreters…

Read More
  • 1
  • 2
  • Next »
Language Services Directory
ata_logo_footer

American Translators Association
211 N. Union Street, Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone +1-703-683-6100
Fax +1-703-778-7222

  • Certification
  • Career and Education
  • Client Assistance
  • Events
  • News
  • Member Center
  • About Us
  • Member Login
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Submit Feedback

© 2025 - American Translators Association

Find a Language Professional
Scroll To Top
By clicking accept or closing this message and continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies.I AcceptPrivacy Policy