To assist women and workers to communicate fully, it is essential to use female interpreters who are professionally qualified and fluent in the appropriate languages and dialects.
|
also see:
|
- Interpreter Services, the Women's Clinical Services Directory, for information about arranging an interpreter.
|
Professional interpreters should:
|
- understand and observe rules of confidentiality
|
- be fluent in the language of medical jargon as well as English
|
- assist in setting up a clear communication process
|
- be fluent in the language specified.
|
|
The gender of the interpreter is of particular importance for women and families seeking care for sexual and reproductive health issues, so that information can be appropriately shared between health providers and women. It is more appropriate for the interpreter to be female, especially when discussing sexual and reproductive health.
|
The role of the interpreter is to verbally convey as accurately as possible the meaning of the exact words spoken to each other by the worker and client. The interpreter, the worker and the client may ask for clarification of a word or phrase during an interaction, to ease communication, but it is the responsibility of the worker to check their own understanding as well as that of the woman. This can be done by summarising and reflecting back the points made to the woman, or by checking her understanding by asking her to do the same.
|
The role of cultural advocate may be to support the work of interpreters, by supplying contextual information to women and workers. However, the cultural advocates working within the hospital should not be used as interpreters, rather as facilitators to enable women and workers to work together appropriately.
|
Language services will arrange an interpreter and take care to ensure that the interpreter speaks the same or similar dialect as the woman, or that her accent is comprehensible. It is preferable not to use family members or friends for the following reasons:
|
|
- lack of knowledge of medical language and jargon
|
- cultural beliefs about what is acceptable to discuss with foreigners or strangers, for example, FGM status.
|
|
However, some women may prefer the support of a partner, friend, or family member as their interpreter, feeling more comfortable with someone who they feel understands and advocates for them. Workers may be able to clarify the woman's understanding of the interpreter role, so that she understands the choices available to her. It may also be possible to involve family members in other ways, for example encouraging their presence as support people.
|
Workers may be concerned that women are reluctant to ask for an interpreter due to the perception that it may be seen as a slur on their English language skills, their ability to participate in Australian society, or their class or educational background. Some workers find it helpful to say that it would assist them in the interaction to use an interpreter, so that the woman is not made to 'lose face'. It is also important to be aware that women from small communities maybe concerned that they will know the interpreter. Where this is a concern for the woman the Translating Interpreting Service (TIS) should be offered and the only the woman’s first name provided to TIS.
|
Support for good practice with interpreters
|
Resources to support good practice with interpreters, including the following:
|
- Contacting Language services for secondary consultation and/or training sessions
|
| - Royal Women's Hospital Manual of Clinical Responsiveness; the section on working with interpreters. This manual has been developed with the Key Centre for Women's Health in Women's Health at Melbourne University through the Community Services Division at the Women's, for use in the Hospital.
|
| - "Effective use of interpreters in the health care setting", RCH 1985. Video available from J.W. Grieve library.
|
| - Pardy M 1995 "Speaking of speaking", report of the Women and Interpreting project , Melbourne
|
|
|
|
Working well with interpreters supports good cross cultural practice. Resources that may be useful in this context include:
|
- Reid J and Trompf, 1990 The health of immigrant Australia. Harcourt Brace and Jovanovich (Australia)
|
| - Morris K and Hamilton C, 1994 Health Choices our Voices - Non English speaking background women speak out! Women's Health West, Melbourne
|
| - Liamputtong Rice P (Ed) 1999 Living in a new country. Ausmed Publications, Melbourne
|
| - Murphy L 2000 Negotiating Cultural Change and Maternity Care - From the Horn of Africa to the Mercy Hospital for Women. Multicultural Services Unit, Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne
|
|
|
|
All these publications are available through the library (a shared service based at the Royal Melbourne Hospital) or from the Women's Health Information Centre (WHIC).
|
Useful websites:
|
|
|
|
