Characteristics of Good Medical Interpreters

Medical interpretation is an important subset of the field of interpretation that requires the interpreter to possess certain important characteristics. A good medical interpreter must have a strong medical vocabulary. The interpreter must know how to translate basic medical terms such as asthma and x-ray and also advanced, highly specialized terms such as nuclear stress test and sickle cell anemia.One important characteristic is having utmost respect for the privacy of the patient. Any communication that takes place between a doctor and a patient is confidential. If there is an interpreter present to overcome the language barrier between doctor and patient all communications that take place are still confidential. The interpreter cannot disclose any information about the patient to anyone.One aspect of medical interpretation that can be difficult to handle is dealing with emergency situations. Sometimes a patient that an interpreter works with on a regular bas
Characteristics of Good Medical Interpreters