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translators in the office
Submit responseTo the editor: The review by Schenker, et al,(1) “ navigating language barriers under difficult circumstances,” is a must read for all physicians living in a polyglot society. Montreal Quebec, Canada, is such a city. Indeed, most physicians can function in French and English. Nevertheless, the need for translation is still a frequent daily occurrence. Unfortunately, in an office, unlike the hospital setting, one must make do with what is available. This is frequently a translator with limited education and language skills.
In this case, it is necessary to ease the burden of translation by keeping questions as short as possible and request that the answers be limited to answering the question. The language of the question must be kept as simple as possible. These steps are time-consuming, but will diminish the possibility of serious errors in translation.
The translator may still be found to be totally inadequate, despite these accommodations. This makes meaningful communication impossible. As noted by Schenker, et al, this can present dangerous barriers to both diagnosis and treatment.
I believe that one’s responsibility in this situation is to carefully note the communication difficulty on the chart, and examine the patient in order to determine whether there is any obvious pressing need for immediate medical intervention. If there is no such need, politely request that a future visit be made with a more competent translator.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared