School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith 2751, NSW, Australia.
School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown Campus, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
Women Birth. 2018 Jun;31(3):e152-e161. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2017.09.011. Epub 2017 Sep 29.
Interpreters (lam in Thai) have been employed in maternity services in Thailand due to increasing numbers of Burmese women migrating to Thailand. Access to healthcare interpreters is crucial for health professionals and Burmese migrant women using Thai maternity services but no studies have examined the role of the lam.
This paper explores the role and experiences of healthcare interpreters (lam) working in Thailand. The perspectives of nurse-midwives and migrant Burmese women regarding the role of the lam are also included.
Ethnographic methods including observation of interactions between women, nurse-midwives, other health professionals and the lam were used. Individual interviews were conducted with four Burmese lam, nine health professionals, and 10 Burmese women. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Three major themes captured the role and experiences of the Burmese lam; 'more than an interpreter', 'challenges in sustaining the role of the lam', and 'benefits for me and my community'. The Burmese lam had two key components to their role: interpreter and, healthcare worker. Key challenges included lack of clarity around role boundaries, limited training, and, low remuneration.
Despite the challenges, the lam believed their presence encouraged Burmese women to attend antenatal care. They described benefits for themselves, including 'on-the-job' training. Community trust in the lam meant that Burmese women and families sought their advice within the community. This study demonstrates the important role that migrant workers play in collaborating with nurse-midwives to ensure access to maternity services in middle-income countries.
由于越来越多的缅甸女性移民到泰国，泰国的产妇服务中开始雇佣口译员（泰语称为 lam）。卫生专业人员和使用泰国产妇服务的缅甸移民女性获得医疗口译员至关重要，但目前尚无研究探讨 lam 的作用。
本文探讨了在泰国工作的医疗口译员（lam）的角色和经验。本文还包括了助产士和缅甸移民女性对 lam 角色的看法。
采用民族志方法，包括观察女性、助产士、其他卫生专业人员和 lam 之间的互动。对 4 名缅甸 lam、9 名卫生专业人员和 10 名缅甸女性进行了个体访谈。使用主题分析对数据进行分析。
三个主要主题描述了缅甸 lam 的角色和经验；“不仅仅是口译员”、“维持 lam 角色的挑战”和“对我和我的社区有益”。缅甸 lam 的角色有两个关键组成部分：口译员和卫生工作者。主要挑战包括角色边界不明确、培训有限和薪酬低。
尽管存在挑战，但 lam 认为他们的存在鼓励了缅甸女性参加产前护理。他们描述了对自己的好处，包括“在职”培训。社区对 lam 的信任意味着缅甸女性和家庭在社区中寻求他们的建议。本研究表明，移民工人在与助产士合作，确保中低收入国家获得产妇服务方面发挥着重要作用。
