Rowland Michael L
College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
J Dent Educ. 2008 Jan;72(1):72-80.
The United States is becoming substantially more diverse in its citizenry, with numerous racial and ethnic cultural groups and immigrants living and working in this country. In addition, there has been an increase in the number of languages other than English spoken in homes, as well as an increase in the number of individuals with limited English-speaking abilities. Given the emerging racial, ethnic, and cultural trends in U.S. society, it is important that dental students as future practitioners have knowledge of interpreter services, working with professionally trained interpreters, and the legal responsibilities and requirements of interpretation. The purposes of this study were to 1) describe the role of interpreters in dental health care settings; 2) identify challenges they face; and 3) propose approaches and strategies to improve communication between dental students as future practitioners and non-English-speaking patients. Data were collected through a series of individual in-depth, face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured open-question format and email communications with three key informants who were purposefully selected to participate in this study based on their comprehensive knowledge and experience as interpreters. The qualitative analysis revealed themes or stories related to the following areas of this study: 1) the role of professional interpreters in dental and other health care settings; 2) challenges faced by interpreters and providers working with patients with limited English-speaking ability; and 3) strategies and approaches used to improve communication and address challenges. By understanding the unique interpreting needs of non- or limited English-speaking patients, dental students have an opportunity to broaden their cultural competency skills. Dental schools have an obligation to ensure that students, faculty, and staff know and understand the legal rights of patients and health care providers to communicate effectively when using an interpreter, although having a professionally trained interpreter working in a facility does not end the cultural learning processes needed in a multicultural society.
美国公民的多样性正在显著增加，众多种族和族裔文化群体以及移民在这个国家生活和工作。此外，家庭中使用英语以外语言的人数有所增加，英语能力有限的个人数量也有所增加。鉴于美国社会新出现的种族、族裔和文化趋势，牙科学生作为未来的从业者，了解口译服务、与专业培训的口译员合作以及口译的法律责任和要求非常重要。本研究的目的是：1）描述口译员在牙科保健环境中的作用；2）确定他们面临的挑战；3）提出改善牙科学生作为未来从业者与非英语患者之间沟通的方法和策略。通过一系列采用半结构化开放式问题形式的个人深入面对面访谈以及与三名关键信息提供者的电子邮件通信收集数据，这些信息提供者是根据他们作为口译员的全面知识和经验有目的地挑选出来参与本研究的。定性分析揭示了与本研究以下领域相关的主题或情况：1）专业口译员在牙科和其他保健环境中的作用；2）口译员和提供者在与英语能力有限的患者合作时面临的挑战；3）用于改善沟通和应对挑战的策略和方法。通过了解非英语或英语能力有限患者的独特口译需求，牙科学生有机会拓宽他们的文化能力技能。牙科学校有义务确保学生、教师和工作人员了解并理解患者和医疗保健提供者在使用口译员时有效沟通的合法权利，尽管在机构中有专业培训的口译员工作并不会结束多元文化社会所需的文化学习过程。
