Click to view the Online Medical Interpreter Certificate Course and Diploma Program
The mission of the US National Council on Interpreting in Health Care is promoting and enhancing language access in healthcare in the US. The NCIHC was established in 1998, but informal working groups had already started to work in 1994. The NCIHC establishes a framework of standards for the medical interpreting profession, develops policies, research, and best practices, and fosters national dialogue and programs on the issues related with the medical interpreting profession. The NCIHC acts as an advocate for social justice, respect for all people, the empowerment of LEPs, and the implementation of culturally appropriate practices in medical interpreters’ training programs (one of them is MiTio’s Online Medical Interpreter Certificate Course and Diploma Program). The NCIHC is governed by a Board and is divided in different Committees focusing on different issues. It also hosts a Career Center on their website, and organizes events and webinars.
The interaction taking place during a medical interpreting session can be defined as a triadic interaction, because three main players are involved. Of course, each party may be anxious or frustrated for different reasons. For instance, the patient can be in pain or worried about health issues, the doctor can be in a hurry because of a tight schedule of visits, and both of them can be frustrated by the inability to communicate directly and the need to resort to an interpreter. The medical interpreter, on the other hand, should maintain a state of mind that allows him or her to perform their tasks correctly, even when anxious about properly delivering the each party’s message. The duties of the doctor and medical interpreters obviously differ, but both have the duty to avoid any conduct that can be harmful to the patient.
To learn more about the code of conduct for medical interpreters in the US, check the online MiTio Medical Interpreter Certificate Course. Online, available to all language interpreters who want to work as medical interpreters in the US or remotely from abroad.
