When healthcare providers and patients do not speak the same language, medical interpreters are called in to help. In this book - the first ever ethnographic study of a bilingual hospital - Claudia Angelelli explores the role of medical interpreters, drawing on data from over 300 medical encounters and interviewing the interpreters themselves about the people for whom they interpret, their challenges, and how they characterize their role. Traditionally the interpreter has been viewed as a language conduit, with little power over the medical encounter or the relationship between patient and provider. This book presents an alternative view, considering the interpreter's agency and contextualizing the practice within an institution that is part of a larger society. Bringing together literature from social theory, social psychology and linguistic anthropology, this book will be welcomed by anyone who wants to discover the intricacies of medical interpreting firsthand; particularly researchers, communication specialists, policy makers and practitioners.

This book is based on the very popular international publication (Crezee, 2013) and has been supplemented with Chinese glossaries. Just like the 2013 textbook, this practical resource will allow interpreters and translators to quickly read up on healthcare settings, familiarizing themselves with anatomy, physiology, medical terminology and frequently encountered conditions, diagnostic tests and treatment options. It is an exceptionally useful and easily accessible handbook, in particular for English-speaking patients, Chinese-speaking doctors, and first language Chinese-speaking students in healthcare related programs. This book includes special comments on the medical system in some English- and Chinese-speaking countries and gives concrete examples of patient expectations for hospital stays or physician visits. Also included is information regarding the establishment of some health interpreting services, the nature of Chinese medical terminology and specific culture-related concepts to be aware of.

Healthcare Interpreting Explained is the first comprehensive user-friendly book on the practice of medical/healthcare interpreting. Written by a leading world authority and drawing on research carried out in Europe, the United States, Australia and Asia, this process-focussed text goes beyond terms and concepts to cover medical discourse, ethics and protocol, professionalization, cognitive factors, problem-solving strategies, assessment and more. Including summaries, tasks, further reading and a range of real-world examples, as well as audio files on the Translation Studies Portal, this is the essential text for all students and practicing interpreters in the areas of medical and healthcare interpreting.

This volume – the first-ever collection of research on healthcare interpreting – centers on three interrelated themes: cross-cultural communication in healthcare settings, the interactional role of persons serving as interpreters and the discourse patterns of interpreter-mediated interaction. The individual chapters, by seven innovative researchers in the area of community-based interpreting, represent a pioneering attempt to look beyond stereotypical perceptions of interpreter-mediated interactions. First published as a Special Issue of Interpreting 7:2 (2005), this volume offers insights into the impact of the interpreter – whether s/he is a trained professional or a member of the patient's family – including ways in which s/he may either facilitate or impair reliable communication between patient and healthcare provider. The five articles cover a range of settings and specialties, from general medicine to pediatrics, psychiatry and speech therapy, using languages as diverse as Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Italian and Spanish in combination with Danish, Dutch, English and French.

The authors have been developing the demand control schema (DC-S) and their practice-profession approach to community interpreting since 1995. With its early roots pertaining to occupational health in the interpreting field, DC-S has evolved into a holistic work analysis framework which guides interpreters in their development of ethical and effective decision-making skills. Adapted from Robert Karasek's demand control theory, this textbook is the culmination of nearly two decades of work, as it evolved over the course of 22 articles and book chapters and nine DC-S research and training grants. Designed primarily for classroom use in interpreter education programs (IEPs), interpreting supervisors, mentors, and practitioners also will find this book highly rewarding. IEPs could readily use this text in introductory courses, ethics courses, and in practicum seminars. Each of its ten chapters guides the reader through increasingly sophisticated descriptions and applications of all the key elements of DC-S, including its theoretical constructs, the purpose and method of dialogic work analysis, the schema's teleological approach to interpreting ethics, and the importance of engaging in reflective practice, especially supervision of the type that is common in other practice professions. Each chapter concludes with a class activity, homework exercises, a check for understanding (quiz), discussion questions, and an advanced activity for practicing interpreters. The first page of each chapter presents a list of the chapter's key concepts, preparing the reader for an efficient and effective learning experience. Numerous full-color photos, tables, and figures help make DC-S come alive for the reader and assist in learning and retaining the concepts presented. Formal endorsements from an international panel of renown interpreter educators and scholars describe this text as "aesthetically pleasing," praising its "lively, accessible style," its "logic and organization," and referring to it as an "invaluable resource" with international appeal to "scholars and teachers." Spoken language interpreters also are proponents of DC-S and will find the material in this text applicable to their education and practice, as well. For more information regarding DC-S, including training opportunities and supervision, visit www.DemandControlSchema.com.

Getting the right diagnosis is a key aspect of health care - it provides an explanation of a patient's health problem and informs subsequent health care decisions. The diagnostic process is a complex, collaborative activity that involves clinical reasoning and information gathering to determine a patient's health problem. According to Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, diagnostic errors-inaccurate or delayed diagnoses-persist throughout all settings of care and continue to harm an unacceptable number of patients. It is likely that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences. Diagnostic errors may cause harm to patients by preventing or delaying appropriate treatment, providing unnecessary or harmful treatment, or resulting in psychological or financial repercussions. The committee concluded that improving the diagnostic process is not only possible, but also represents a moral, professional, and public health imperative. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, a continuation of the landmark Institute of Medicine reports To Err Is Human (2000) and Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001), finds that diagnosis-and, in particular, the occurrence of diagnostic errorsâ€"has been largely unappreciated in efforts to improve the quality and safety of health care. Without a dedicated focus on improving diagnosis, diagnostic errors will likely worsen as the delivery of health care and the diagnostic process continue to increase in complexity. Just as the diagnostic process is a collaborative activity, improving diagnosis will require collaboration and a widespread commitment to change among health care professionals, health care organizations, patients and their families, researchers, and policy makers. The recommendations of Improving Diagnosis in Health Care contribute to the growing momentum for change in this crucial area of health care quality and safety.

This work is the definitive international textbook for community interpreting, with a special focus on medical interpreting. Intended for use in universities, colleges and basic training programs, the book offers a comprehensive introduction to the profession. The core audience is interpreters and their trainers and educators. While the emphasis is on medical, educational and social services interpreting, legal and faith-based interpreting are also addressed.