Expectations and Proposals from the Healthcare Interpreter's Perspective / 医学教育

ABSTRACT

Even if foreign residents have no trouble speaking Japanese in their daily lives, they do not always understand the language spoken in hospitals. This is because they face many barriers other than language, such as unfamiliar medical terminology, difficulty concentrating due to illness, tensions caused by the unusual hospital environment, and differences in the medical system, customs and culture. We believe that the presence of a medical interpreter will lead to better communication between doctors and patients at initial consultations, when announcements are made, when explanations of treatment are made, when rapport is established, and when the patient’s complaints need to be fully listened to. As a medical interpreter who supports foreign patients in the medical field, I would like to offer some suggestions to medical professionals who encounter foreign patients in clinical settings.