Working with an Interpreter
Overcoming Barriers: Effective Communication through a Professional Interpreter
Good communication is the key to good healthcare, but communicating with patients who have limited English proficiency and are from other cultures can present challenges. This training equips service providers with the tools to successfully utilize an interpreter to enable effective communication with patients and clients.
Workshop Goal
To turn language and cultural barriers into inclusive opportunities and ensure you are providing your patients with the best care possible.
Training Objectives
- Increase awareness of “cultural bumps” which create barriers to effective communication
- Learn the roles of a medical interpreter and recognize the signs of professional vs. unprofessional interpreters
- Develop skills to work effectively with a trained interpreter
- Understand how cultural frameworks differ and why this matters in a healthcare setting
Approach
This highly interactive workshop is customized to meet your organization’s particular needs while ensuring the material is interesting, motivating, and relevant. A variety of training techniques are used to help participants examine their own cultural values and beliefs, learn how to work effectively with a
professional interpreter, and build the skills necessary to succeed in the dynamics of cross-cultural interactions with patients.
After the training, participants will:
- Be more mindful of their own culture and the effect it has on their daily interactions with patients
- Communicate better with patients holding different values and beliefs
- Demonstrate skills to increase effective communication with patients through a trained interpreter
- Know the questions to ask and information to gather when serving patients from a different culture
- Understand the role of the medical interpreter, including how to select an appropriate interpreter, how to conduct an interpreter pre-session, and the modes of interpreting