Bilingual Employees: working as interpreters IMIA Conference October 12, 2008

1. Bilingual Employees: working as interpretersIMIA Conference October 12, 2008

2. To get information and participants opinions about how hospitals utilize bilingual employees to interpret. The information obtained at this meeting will be used to generate a best practice document giving hospitals guidelines regarding the training, testing, and utilization of bilingual employees as medical interpreters, as the IMIA considers medical interpreters the ultimate experts in the practice of medical interpreting. Purpose of workshop

3. All opinions are valid It is important to keep an open mind and explore all perspectives One person speaks at a time No comments will be quoted This session is being recorded to aid the facilitator in future note taking Any participant can assist in editing of best practices guideline Ground Rules

4. Benefits and Disadvantages to Hospitals • What are the benefits for hospitals to train bilingual employees to interpret? • What are the disadvantages for hospitals to train bilingual employees to interpret?

5. 3. What are the mechanisms by which hospitals train bilingual employees to interpret? • who should be trained? (bilinguals at what levels?_) • who should do the training? (interpreter trainers, hospital trainers who are not interpreters, or interpreters who go through a Train the Trainer Program?) • how long should the training for bilingual employees last? (1 day, 2 days, 1 week, more?) • should bilingual employees who interpret have continuing education requirements?

6. 4. What are the mechanisms by which hospitals use bilingual employees to interpret? • how should they be compensated? (additional compensation, per encounter, per language, flat rate over salary?) • should they be monitored for their linguistic services? How? • Should they document their interpretations? • How does the hospital keep track of the interpretation needs of the hospital that are being taken care of by these bilingual employees? • what is the scope of work of these bilingual employees? (same as professional interpreters or limited to unit/dept, or limited to specific functions?) • Is ‘medical interpreting’ in their job descriptions? Should it be? • Are all bilingual employees targeted for training fluent? Who decides who gets in or out of the training? The trainer or the hospital (employer)?

7. 5. What are the benefits of this practice to professional medical interpreters? • 6. What are the disadvantages of this practice to professional medical interpreters?

8. 7. Will certification make a difference? Will bilingual employees need to be certified in order to interpret?

9. Thank you! Thank you!