The interpreter: crossing communication barriers between healthcare providers and international patients

As a result of the effects of globalization, cross-racial and cross-cultural marriages have become common phenomena in Taiwan society. The rapid increase in the number of immigrants coming to Taiwan has created a society that will need to confront the impact of the arrival of people from different cultures and the problems associated therewith. These challenges must also be faced by healthcare providers and patients. Since communication is a crucial aspect of healthcare situations, the cost of medical care can be very high and treatment may be of limited effect if communication between patients and healthcare providers is not sufficiently comprehensive. The use of an interpreter is therefore a popular solution to facilitate communication between healthcare providers and patients. The quality of interpretation, however, depends on the training of the interpreter, and will have a great influence on the outcome of health care. Without effective communication, the quality of health care cannot be improved. The question of how to provide continual monitoring of the quality of interpretation and establish a comprehensive training course for interpreters should therefore be further investigated in clinical research.