Health literacy professionals and/or healthcare providers are generally knowledgeable about culturally-appropriate communication. When working with interpreters, we need to be aware not just of the patient's health literacy but also of the interpreter's health literacy. There is a wide variation in the way interpreters are trained. Indigenous speakers of minority languages may not have received training on medical concepts themselves. This session will be a lecture/mini-workshop format so participants would be able to practice samples of their own written and oral patient information, analyze the "interpreter-friendliness" of the information, and edit the information as needed.
Objectives:
• Review the current state of interpreter qualifications and training.
• Recognize the limitations of communication when working with interpreters, especially interpreters for minority and indigenous languages.
• Learn some strategies for tailoring patient information that enhance the communication process, and at the same time, take into account the abilities of the interpreter to communicate the meaning effectively.