What should you do when a non-English speaking patient is seeking care in our facilities? Should you call an interpreter? What if an accompanying family member is there who speaks English? Do you feel confident your team could help the patient? Hospitals and clinics around the country have run into a common unfortunate result: without a qualified interpreter, some details can be missed during the patient’s first visit. This can lead to the patient not being properly diagnosed, which can delay treatment and require them to come back again.
To improve the patient experience, always follow Intermountain’s interpretation policies:
- Review the Communication Assistance Policy with your team.
- Document all interactions with interpretation services, including in-person, telephone, and virtual.
- Refusal for interpretation must be documented in the patient’s medical record.
- Ensure the patient understands Intermountain provides a qualified interpreter at no cost.
- Consider utilizing an interpreter on a caregiver’s behalf if the patient has refused.
- Know the difference between a qualified interpreter and qualified bilingual staff; only qualified interpreters may be used during clinically significant conversations.
Two high reliability principles apply to this situation:
- Reluctance to simplify. Don’t take the easy way out, even if it’s faster and seems harmless.
- Defer to experts. Qualified interpreters are a crucial member of the care team, ensuring communication and understanding for team members and patients alike. If an in-person interpreter isn’t available, utilize telephone or virtual language services.
Here are some tips to help you avoid quick assumptions and unconscious bias to ensure every patient receives extraordinary care:
- Actively listen to patient and family concerns. Ensure you give adequate attention and time.
- Ask “what” and “how” follow up questions to ensure your own understanding.
- Don’t assume family members are fluent in English and don’t ask them to interpret.