Resource Center

INTERPRETATION SERVICES AND COMMUNITY HEALTH

Skilled interpreters facilitate understanding in communication of language and culture.

Need for Language Access:

  • According to the 2000 Census, over 46 million people—more than 17 percent of the U.S. population—speak a language other than English at home.
  • 26% of all Spanish speakers, 30% of all Chinese speakers, and 28% of all Vietnamese speakers reported they spoke English “not well” or “not at all” in the 1990 Census.
  • Language barriers have consistently shown to have a negative impact on health care processes and patient ratings of care. i
  • One-quarter of Hispanics with limited English proficiency reported that- even though they had questions about their care- they left a health care visit without asking those questions. ii
  • It has been documented in several JAMA studies that the use of untrained family members and friends to interpret has been associated with omissions, additions, substitutions, volunteered opinions, and semantic errors that can seriously distort translation.
  • “Family wants to help but often the issues of the crisis do not work well with family involvement.” A Mercy Hospital provider on a survey by interpretation services.

To learn more about:

  • How skilled interpreters foster healthier communities
  • Benefits for providers by using skilled interpreters
  • What are possible consequences of not using skilled interpreters

Click here download the Interpreter Document.

Resources:

Remember: "Being bilingual does not automatically make one an interpreter."

i. The Commonwealth Fund, “The Role of Patient-Provider Racial, Ethnic, and Language Concordance” July 2004

ii. The Commonwealth Fund, “2001 Health Care Quality Survey” 2001