The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #68233

Lisa Morris, MSTD¹, Jean Marcelin², and Christina Rosi, MPA². (1) Office of Community Programs, Univeristy of Massachusetts Medical School, 222 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545, 508.856.3572, Lisa.Morris@umassmed.edu, (2) Office of Community Programs, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 222 Maple Ave., Chang Building, Shrewsbury, MA 01545

With the growing number of people in the United States who speak a language other than English, there is an increasing demand for bilingual and bicultural interpreters in the health care setting. In the past, the use of adhoc interpreters (the “bilingual” individual that is in closest proximity to the provider and patient) was perceived as the temporary solution to the linguistic barrier. The project will review pre and post assessment data from approximately 300 of the program's medical interpreter students, and will focus on the importance of knowledge of medical terminology and the necessity for trained bi-lingual staff. Spanish, Portuguese, and possibly a third language will be included in the analysis. Data will illustrate the most commonly misinterpreted words, errors frequently committed by bi-lingual staff, and the potential seriousness of these errors.

Learning Objectives:

• 1)Identify and evaluate errors frequently committed by bi-lingual staff and adhoc interpreters.
• 2)Describe the magnitude of the problem of the lack of trained interpreters.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.