Offering patient access to medical interpreters can help healthcare organizations achieve multiple goals, ranging from delivering culturally competent care all the way to legal or regulatory compliance.
Medical interpreters bridge the gap when patients and providers do not speak the same language. Healthcare organizations may hire certified medical interpreters or implement technologies that provide interpretation services.
Medical interpreters are most often needed when a patient has limited English proficiency (LEP), and the clinician does not speak the patient’s preferred language. Being LEP does not necessarily mean a patient will need a medical interpreter; if a Spanish-speaking patient is meeting with a Spanish-speaking clinician, the patient may not need a medical interpreter.