Whether you’re a patient or a clinician, accurate communication is critical for understanding and relaying healthcare information. From explaining the details of a diagnosis to describing a procedure and its risks, or setting out the likely recovery pathway, clear communication can be the difference between a safe outcome and a serious problem.
That’s why using trained interpreters with medical-specific expertise is paramount for hospitals. Not only do these skilled linguists help ensure hospital patients obtain the best outcomes, but they also reduce the workload of hospital staff by allowing doctors and nurses to focus fully on clinical care while the interpreter handles the linguistic and cultural challenges. To find out everything hospitals should know when it comes to medical interpretation, specifically for Asian languages, read on.
Why interpretation is so essential in hospitals
Hospitals are on the front lines of language access. In many cities across the United States, the number of patients who speak Asian languages is rising – from Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean to less commonly requested tongues such as Karenni, Lao, or Tibetan – and hospitals must provide clear, accurate communication every time care is delivered.
Miscommunication in medicine isn’t a minor annoyance; it can lead to a range of issues, including misdiagnoses, medication errors, inadequate follow-up, and worse outcomes.
Imagine you’ve undergone a serious medical procedure. Even if it isn’t major, misunderstanding follow-up instructions – believing “book with your GP in six weeks” only applies if you feel unwell – can delay the detection of a post-op complication and turn a minor fix into a long recovery.
On the hospital’s side, poor communication can lead to unnecessary headaches, too. If physicians can’t trust the clinical history due to language gaps or poor translation, they often order extra diagnostics “just to be on the safe side.” These unnecessary blood tests, imaging or monitoring waste valuable time and resources – and still don’t address the underlying communication gap.
Medical interpretation for Asian languages
Enlisting an experienced medical interpreter makes good sense in any clinical setting, but it’s particularly important for Asian languages, where terminology, dialectal variation, and cultural context can change meaning. Let’s explore some of these important nuances in depth:
- Japanese
Many people think Japanese interpreter services simply translate Japanese words into English (or vice versa). However, there is perhaps no language pair where more is at stake than Japanese and English, as any experienced Japanese interpreter will tell you! These highly skilled and sensitive cultural mediators also work out the most appropriate way to handle the indirect communication style that is deeply embedded within Japanese society, while also navigating the complexities of the honorifics system.
In Japanese, it’s not just a case of what you say, but also how you say it. It can be highly offensive to state something directly – as is often the case in an English-language medical setting. This preference for indirectness means Japanese speakers often soften or avoid direct negative responses (e.g., saying “It may be a little difficult” instead of “It’s impossible”), which can obscure medical urgency unless the interpreter conveys the true meaning clearly.
Similarly, interpreters must also work within the Japanese honorific system known as keigo. It’s important because mishandling honorifics can erode trust, create misunderstandings about treatment or consent, and ultimately affect patient safety.
Japanese-to-English interpretation handles these subtleties sensitively, while communicating the medical information in the most appropriate way for both parties.
- Mandarin
Mandarin interpreters are essential to Chinese patients, but it’s crucial to select the correct dialect; the term “Mandarin” covers a standard form (Putonghua), but many patients may speak regional variants, as well as entirely different Sinitic languages (such as Hokkien or Cantonese).
One of the issues Mandarin interpreters need to be particularly aware of is the prevalence of homophones, or words that sound alike (or even the same). When it comes to medication, many drug names are transliterated into Mandarin, which means unfamiliar brand names or fast speech can be unclear. A Chinese-language interpreter will often ask for the Chinese characters for the drug or request the generic name for confirmation.
There are also significant cultural beliefs that need to be handled sensitively. For example, traditional Chinese medicine can shape patient understanding of illness and treatment options, which may clash with Western medicine approaches. Specialist Mandarin interpreters will be adept at navigating these contrasting cultural beliefs.
- Punjabi
Punjabi is written in two scripts – Gurmukhi (used mainly in India) and Shahmukhi (mainly in Pakistan) – which can complicate communication. Some patients may only be fully literate in one of these scripts, which can affect their comprehension. Frequently, there is also a tendency to mix terms from different languages, such as Hindi, Urdu, or English, which can add further complications.
An experienced Punjabi interpreter can explain medical information sensitively and accurately to patients, while taking into account their individual backgrounds and preferences.
- Thai
Thai interpreters can incorporate the most culturally fitting tone and phrasing when delivering sensitive or worrying diagnoses. In Thai culture, a direct approach is considered inappropriate.
The Thai language has a complex system of pronouns, as well as politeness markers, which must be used in order to set the right tone and show an appropriate level of respect. Their omission or inappropriate use can affect how messages are perceived.
Thai interpreters also need to select the correct variation for the patient, as there are significant differences between Central Thai and Northern dialects.
Capital Linguists’ medical interpretation for Asian languages
Whether you need a Chinese language interpreter, a Karenni interpreter, a Thai interpreter, or a medical specialist in another Asian language, you need look no further than Capital Linguists.
Our expansive network of industry-accredited interpreters includes Asian-language specialists with medical expertise. This allows us to provide the most accurate, culturally sensitive communication in healthcare settings, allowing patients and medical professionals to feel at ease.
