A friend told me that her hospital uses the overhead paging system to request translators. There aren't actually any paid translators on their staff, though. If a page comes through "will the Urdu (Somali, Russian, Vietnamese, etc.) translator please call ICU?", it just means that anyone who speaks that language... cafeteria worker, housekeeping, whatever, call ICU to translate for a patient. These people have no training in medical translation at all, but when a page like that goes out, it makes it sound as if the hospital keeps a fully staffed translation department.
I wouldn't count on the housekeeper knowing what 'plantar fasciitis' or 'myomectomy' (just examples) is and/or how to explain it. That's just me. I'd rather use the language line if I needed to.
Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.
Sounds like some JCAHO violations to me.
JCAHO? Is that to do with confidentiality? I was about to say the same thing. Also, many laymen do not know the medical terms in their own language, or may not understand what medical/nursing/allied health terms mean. There is a huge potential for error, how can you be sure if "informed consent" is given if you aren't sure the information conveyed is properly explained?
jackson145
598 Posts
I do sometimes have to go with my grandad to translate his "hick" speech for the Doc, though.