Assessing Dual-Role Staff-Interpreter Linguistic Competency in an Integrated Healthcare System

摘要

BackgroundInterpreter services for medical care increase physician–patient communication and safety, yet a “formal certification” process to demonstrate interpreter competence does not exist. Testing and training is left to individual health care facilities nationwide. Bilingual staff are often used to interpret, without any assessment of their skills. Assessing interpreters’ linguistic competence and setting standards for testing is a priority.