Preview

I Am Not a Robot

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
12693 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
I Am Not a Robot
Qualitative Health Research http://qhr.sagepub.com/

' 'I am not a robot! ' ' Interpreters ' Views of Their Roles in Health Care Settings
Elaine Hsieh Qual Health Res 2008 18: 1367 DOI: 10.1177/1049732308323840 The online version of this article can be found at: http://qhr.sagepub.com/content/18/10/1367

Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com Additional services and information for Qualitative Health Research can be found at: Email Alerts: http://qhr.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://qhr.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Citations: http://qhr.sagepub.com/content/18/10/1367.refs.html

Downloaded from qhr.sagepub.com at Swansea University on March 24, 2011

“I am not a robot!” Interpreters’ Views of Their Roles in Health Care Settings
Elaine Hsieh
University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

Qualitative Health Research Volume 18 Number 10 October 2008 1367-1383 © 2008 Sage Publications 10.1177/1049732308323840 http://qhr.sagepub.com hosted at http://online.sagepub.com

In this study, I examined interpreters’ self-perceived roles and their corresponding communicative goals and strategies. Twenty-six professional interpreters (of 17 languages), 4 patients, and 12 health care providers were recruited for this study, which involved participant observation of medical encounters and in-depth interviews. Constant comparative analysis was used to generate a typology of interpreters’ self-perceived roles, which are different from the roles they learned in their training. Different roles reflect differences in interpreters’ concern for other participants’ goals, institutional goals, and their own communicative goals. Interpreters’ desire to maintain neutrality during the medical encounters influences the communicative strategies they adopt when assuming other roles. I conclude the article with the theoretical and practical


Citations: http://qhr.sagepub.com/content/18/10/1367.refs.html Downloaded from qhr.sagepub.com at Swansea University on March 24, 2011 Downloaded from qhr.sagepub.com at Swansea University on March 24, 2011 1368 Qualitative Health Research Downloaded from qhr.sagepub.com at Swansea University on March 24, 2011 Hsieh / Interpreters’ Views of Their Roles 1369 Procedure Two research assistants and I used constant comparative analysis for the data analysis (Strauss & Corbin, 1998), coding the data for dominant themes and categories Downloaded from qhr.sagepub.com at Swansea University on March 24, 2011 1370 Qualitative Health Research Downloaded from qhr.sagepub.com at Swansea University on March 24, 2011 Hsieh / Interpreters’ Views of Their Roles 1371 Downloaded from qhr.sagepub.com at Swansea University on March 24, 2011 1372 Qualitative Health Research Advocate The CCHCP training defined advocacy as “any action an interpreter takes on behalf of the patient outside [italics added] the bounds of an interpreted interview” (Roat et al., 1997, pp
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Best Essays

    Using Trevor’s and Dahlia’s Accounts from Activity 2.3 in Learning Guide 2, Describe How the Biomedical, and Social Models of Health, Might Inform Different Approaches to Improving or Maintaining Trevor’s Quality of Life .
    • 1436 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Using Trevor’s and Dahlia’s Accounts from Activity 2.3 in Learning Guide 2, Describe How the Biomedical, and Social Models of Health, Might Inform Different Approaches to Improving or Maintaining Trevor’s Quality of Life .

    The Open University (2010) K217 Adult Health and Social Care and Wellbeing, Chapter 2 ‘Understanding Health and Illness’, Milton Keynes, The Open University…

    • 1436 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Language Barrier Case Study
    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Language Barrier Case Study

    The pharmacist asked her to translate for the patient during the counseling session. I think the pharmacist did a very good job at trying to resolve the issue of the language barrier. I believe that cultural differences, like language, customs, beliefs, and social status should not prevent a healthcare professional from providing a good patient care. Therefore, it is very important for every health professional to be culturally competent, understand cultural differences, and know how to approach patients of a different ethnic, racial, religious, or social…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Explain Medical Terminology In Easy-Way.
    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Explain Medical Terminology In Easy-Way.

    1) Provide with the interpreters. In the community pharmacy that I work, there is a patient who cannot understand English very well, the clinic would provide her with interpreters or her relatives (son, husband) translate for her.…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hcs 245-Week 5
    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Hcs 245-Week 5

    Net’s Solution – A provider may find communicating with someone who is hearing impaired very difficult to deal with at times. Although, it may be difficult one should always know that there is several people who can assist them when addressing a hearing impaired person. Some people who can assist a provider could be an interpreter. An interpreter is a person who converts a thought or expression in a source language into an expression with a comparable meaning in a target language either simultaneously in "real time" or consecutively after one party has finished speaking. Interpreting is "a form of translation (in the wider sense) in which (a) the source-language text is presented only once and thus cannot be reviewed or replayed, and (b) the target-language text is produced under time pressure, with little chance for correction and revision" (Munday 2009, p.133).The interpreter's function is to convey every semantic element or to express tone and register every intention and feeling of the message that the source-language speaker is directing to target-language recipients. Depending on the situation one is facing it could require a speech, sign or oral language interpreter. Speech interpreters help people understand a specific way to correctly say or use words. Speech interpreters also can help someone who doesn’t fluently speak a specific language. Sign language,…

    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Unit 5 Maintaining quality standards in the health sector
    • 1512 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Unit 5 Maintaining quality standards in the health sector

    Some languages are rare, and the interpreting company contracted with the company may not have any one who can speak the language on the books. Or there may not be any interpreters specific to that language available. Some procedures and face-to-face, rather telephone interpreters. That could mean that the patient cannot be seen on that day, and other factors such as A/L professionals, may leave patients waiting weeks for much needed medical treatment.…

    • 1512 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ucd Free Clinic Reflection
    • 165 Words
    • 1 Page

    Ucd Free Clinic Reflection

    I was the lead Spanish/English interpreter for two years at the UCSD Student-Run Free clinic. This was a fulfilling experience where I was able to shadow medical students and physicians, learn more about underserved populations, practice my medical Spanish and learn more about the health system in general. I believe that during my time at the UCSD Free clinic I made a difference by creating a relationship with the patients. I got the learn more about many of the clinic’s patients, creating a bond that allowed them to trust while talking about their problems and health needs. By having this trusting relationship with patients, I was able to communicate better with the other members of the clinic and as a team create a better plan for participant’s…

    • 165 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    T2 DQ1
    • 672 Words
    • 2 Pages

    T2 DQ1

    The sample population faced discrimination on a daily basis and individuals felt judged based on their fluency and abilities to speak English. Even with professional interpreting services, disinterested parties interpreted information incorrectly, and caused more fear and insecurity in the health care profession than they had before. These fears also lead to further delay in medical treatment. Individuals felt that health care professionals, particularly doctors often pried for information,…

    • 672 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Danielle's Argumentative Essay
    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Danielle's Argumentative Essay

    Danielle told of a fellow interpreter who learned this lesson. They felt pity for a deaf individual in critical care with no local family who wanted to chat while the doctor was away. Any private conversation, unless it’s harm to another person, cannot be shared. The deaf person talked about the previous day and mentioned having a few beers with a friend, but when the doctor entered, he denied having alcohol. The interpreter had to repeat exactly what was signed. “As an interpreter, it’s outside of my role to to give personal opinions or information even though I know that that person DID drink alcohol, and that’s going to screw up a medication. Ethically the right thing to do is to answer with what they’re communicating which is no. That’s an area that’s what I stick with, but it kind of makes your stomach…

    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Community Interpreting Unit 5
    • 2397 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Community Interpreting Unit 5

    At the beginning I will describe the requirements of the professional code of ethics for interpreters. Later I will explain the meaning of confidentiality and impartiality. I will also evaluate the techniques for revision of word-banks and glossaries, as well as the sources of information for regular and reliable professional development.…

    • 2397 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Nonverbal Communication and Service Users
    • 1370 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Nonverbal Communication and Service Users

    Health and social care settings are used by people from a diverse range of backgrounds who will want to communicate in different ways. Finding out about each individual’s language needs, wishes and preferences is an important part of my role. I can do this by:…

    • 1370 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Explain The Importance Of Communication To An Individual's Level Of Dementia
    • 369 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Explain The Importance Of Communication To An Individual's Level Of Dementia

    Care recipients should always be given the choice to use professional translators and interpreters. Provide professional translators and interpreters to your care recipients and/or to their family whenever they request the need, when the care plan is developed, when the care plan is reviewed and at any time when “informed consent” is required.…

    • 369 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Cultural Competence In Nursing
    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Cultural Competence In Nursing

    The patient may give audible and visible signs of agreement, appearing to fully comprehend all that is said. In actuality, imperative questions may not be asked due to deference and respect for the practitioner’s position of authority (Hicks, 2012). If immediate family is not bilingual, it is important to provide properly trained medical translators; preferably, of the same gender as the patient, per Hicks (2012). Conversation may be quite animated as emotional expression is characteristic of Hispanic/Latino families.…

    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Essay Nursing Ethic
    • 998 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay Nursing Ethic

    If I have a patient who does not speak English I utilize a trained interpreter or our Cyracom phone to help communicate with my patient. Sometimes this can be time consuming and put us behind schedule. We only have one interpreter and she is very busy so sometimes we have to wait quite awhile for her to be available. This can put our providers behind schedule. It is very tempting in these situations to allow an employee who is not a trained interpreter but speaks the same language, or a family member to interpret. However, this does not follow clinic protocol and therefore is unethical. I work in an internal medicine clinic and most of our patients have multiple health issues. It would be very unfortunate if we missed a…

    • 998 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hca 230 Communication
    • 2057 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Hca 230 Communication

    Elisabeth Kubler-Ross once said," “We have to ask ourselves whether medicine is to remain a humanitarian and respected profession or a new but depersonalized science in the service of prolonging life rather than diminishing human suffering.” In the health care field there are many roles that balance each other. Whether it is the doctor, patient, or medical assistant all play a vital role in the care of others. The purpose of this paper is to compare the differences in communication between the different roles in the hospital. This paper will also be providing an appropriate solution for the scenario provided.…

    • 2057 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    My Latino Heritage Essay
    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages

    My Latino Heritage Essay

    I can potentially help my future patients get a better understanding of their case and I can answer any questions they might have. I will do my best to make them feel comfortable and taken care of. A person should not have to evade medical care because language barriers.…

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics