SPEAKING THEIR LANGUAGE 5 Simple Tips To Communicate With Foreign Language Patients

Accents Perfect Translations

& The Language Link of Connecticut

Aside from medical knowledge,

communication skills are the

most important tool a medical

professional can have.

On the next few pages, we will

solve some of the challenges

associated with assisting

foreign language speakers, and

discuss how using professional

foreign language translating

services can help you and your

patients.

KEEP AN EAR

OUT Although English tends to be the

language most often used in the

U.S., according to the 2007 U.S.

Census, 20% of the respondents

said they used another language

as their main language. The

likelihood of a medical

professional coming into contact

with a foreign language speaker

can be quite high, depending on

the neighborhood. Just being

aware of your community’s

demographics will help you.

CREATE A CHEAT SHEET

Enlist the help of a professional translating service to create a list of common

phrases that you might need to use with a patient. We suggest the top three most

used, for example, in Connecticut that would be Spanish, French, and Italian.

HAVE CUSTOM BROCHURES AND FORMS

The first thing every person

must do when they walk into

a hospital or medical office

is come in contact with the

front desk person. If they

don’t speak the same

language it’s hard for them

to get the same warm

welcome – this is where an

introductory brochure could

be of service. In addition,

having the forms in their

language can make the

whole process easier as well.

Accents Perfect Translations

& The Language Link of Connecticut

THINK OUTSIDE THE LANGUAGE

One major difference of foreign language speakers is they often have cultural norms

that can be very different from your own. Some cultures don’t allow people of the

opposite sex to touch them, others avoid eye contact as a sign of respect – no matter

what their customs are, it is always a good practice to be mindful and to respect them.

HAVE A BILINGUAL STAFF MEMBER

Even though many foreign language patients

come with caregivers or family members, it is

still a good idea to have a person on staff you

can have help you interpret medical

information. Patients may not feel comfortable

telling a non-medical person their problems.

If you follow these simple tips,

your medical practice will be able

to care for foreign language

patients with greater ease.

Also, remember to choose a

professional translator – medical

experience is necessary.

Accents Perfect Translations and The Language Link of Connecticut

Accents Perfect Translations

& The Language Link of Connecticut

Accents Perfect Translations and The Language

Link of Connecticut as been professionally

helping businesses in the same town for nearly

twenty years. They are staffed with highly

trained translators to give you the most

accurate language translations, covering a

number of industries.

For more information, please call 800-611-7773

Or visit http://www.aptranslation.com/.

SUMMARY • Foreign language patients can be hard to communicate with, which can make it

even harder to treat them. We will outline a few easy options that professional

translators can provide to your medical practice.