Video Interpreting Removes Language Barrier

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Providers can only give the best care possible if they know the most information possible - but what if your patient doesn’t speak the same language?

Video consultations and remote appointments benefit providers and patients, but can that technology be applied in emergency situations as well?

According to mHealth News, video remote interpreting allows doctors to communicate with patients who don’t speak the same language through video conference. Phone calls are most commonly used to bridge this gap, but it becomes difficult for the patient and doctor to share a phone while an interpreter does their best to communicate with them.

Families are often unreliable in emergency situations since medical terms are complicated - a certified medical interpreter is the best way to communicate. Some vendors of this type of technology - which are offered on tablets, smartphones, laptops, and PCs - include: Alta Language Services, CyraCom, InDemand Interpreting, Language Access Network, and Stratus Video.

Recently, a bus crash in California put the technology to a test when emergency room staff at Mercy Medical Center in Redding, CA, provided treatment to many of the crash victims. These victims included a number of passengers with limited English proficiency.

The victims who spoke Spanish were connected to translators through video remote interpreting (VRI) devices. According to Virtual Strategy, professional interpreters with 100 or more hours of relevant training had a 2 percent error rate, while ad hoc/informal interpreters had a 22 percent error rate.”

“In emergency medical situations, time is of the essence — the faster an injured patient receives treatment, the better their chances for a successful recovery,” stated Sean Belanger, CEO of Stratus Video Interpreting. “A lack of communication between accident victims and medical personnel can have a serious impact on their treatment.”