"Patients can get sick speaking any language."—Project Co-director Natalya Mytareva
Health Care Interpreter Training Expands to Include Arabic and Mandarin
Adding two languages to a certification program for interpreters to expand delivery of culturally competent and patient-centered health care
Dates of Project: July 2011–June 2012
Field of Work: Health care interpreting
Problem Synopsis: Well-trained interpreters play a vital role in ensuring that the 25 million people in the United States with limited English proficiency receive high-quality health care. Adequate testing and credentialing is essential to ensure that health care interpreters meet national and international standards.
Synopsis of the Work: The Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters developed and tested interpreter certification exams in Arabic and Mandarin, building on a previously developed credentialing exam in Spanish.
Key Results
The commissioners and their subcontractor developed a credentialing exam for use by Arabic and Mandarin interpreters, and 96 interpreters pilot tested it at nine test centers. As of September 2012, they had established a network of 30 testing sites in 21 states. The commissioners also licensed a customized software platform to track data related to the testing process.
Recommended
- Topics
-
Related
- Speaking Together: National Language Services Network April 18, 2011
- Hablamos Juntos: Improving Patient Provider Communication for Latinos October 16, 2007
- The Sounds of Quality November 1, 2011
- The Impact of Interpreters on Parents' Experiences with Ambulatory Care for Their Children February 1, 2006
- About this grant