Telephone translation lines
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Telephone translation lines
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In today's BMA News on page 7, Dr.Flora Tristan, "an inner-city GP", tells us of her misgivings about telephone translation lines. Any BMA members can read her article online ( via http://w
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Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Telephone translation lines
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Telephone translation lines
posted at 27/1/2012 5:42 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 611
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 21/2/2012 |
In today's BMA News on page 7, Dr.Flora Tristan, "an inner-city GP", tells us of her misgivings about telephone translation lines. Any BMA members can read her article online ( via http://web2.bma.org.uk/nrezine.nsf?OpenDatabase&Login ) , but friends abroad maybe cannot, so a precis of her points: - how to address the patient via the speakerphone? Pretend it isn't there, or ask the disembodied voice if they will "Ask her........" - Can you let the translator languish online while you examine the patient, so that you can talk to them again afterwards? Or call the Line a second time? - Is your conversation confidential? What can you tell the pt about this? with the more esoteric languages, what is the probability that the translator will be a relative? - Why haven't people who have been in the UK twenty years learnt at least some English? - can the NHS afford the increasing need for this service? What do you think? John |
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Re: Telephone translation lines
posted at 27/1/2012 9:45 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1064
First: 25/1/2009 Last: 22/2/2012 |
Having seen an interesting misunderstanding by attempted use of charades and mime instead of taking the effort to go get the language line phone I would certainly advocate the use of such language translation phone services. The registrar try to mime to an eastern-European patient who had almost no English vocabulary that she had broken her ankle (snapping action) and that she would have to have it put into a below knee cast (demonstrating a line with a flat hand at right angles to the line of the below knee cast). The terrified woman then tried to get up and run out of the ED as she'd interpreted the mime as she had a broken leg and they would have to amputate below the knee. It took quite some time, and the very fotunate fact that the orthopaedic SHO spoke Polish to calm the women down and clear up the mess. I'd alway vote for a language line type tool if you cant get a real in person translator available. |
Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Telephone translation lines
