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Interpreting Service via Web-Cam Helps Mountain Vista ER Patients
Help Just a Click Away for Emergency Department Staff
September 3, 2008
Imagine experiencing throbbing chest pain or a violent headache, knowing that your best chance for help is at the local Emergency Department. What happens, however, if you don’t speak English or have difficulty hearing? Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires those organizations who receive federal funding, including hospitals, to provide the same level of access to services for limited English-speaking patients as they do for those who speak English.
Those visiting the Emergency Department at Mountain Vista Medical Center (MVMC) have added peace of mind if they require interpreting services. At MVMC and the two other Valley hospitals within the IASIS Healthcare system, patients with limited English proficiency or those who require assistance with sign language are immediately aided by computer technology, right at the bedside.
Physicians and nurses at MVMC are able to connect with trained medical interpreters based in Houston through a secure Web-based transmission – with the click of a mouse. These interpreters are ready 24-hours-a-day to gather health-related information from patients. In turn, they share specific details about the patient with emergency staff, allowing the team to more quickly and effectively provide appropriate care.
“The service takes 60 seconds to begin, which means that clinical staff members are quickly able to help the patient. The online interpreters are competent in medical terminology, so that they can instantly assist caregivers, but also explain the medical issue properly to the patient,” states April Hayes, RN, MSN, Director of the Emergency Department at Mountain Vista.
Through this computer-based video translation system, strategically placed cameras allow the interpreters to see the patients, to talk to them and to review their facial expressions, which can indicate pain and distress levels. Patients, too, can see the interpreter with whom they are corresponding, which offers reassurance.
States Hayes, “In most hospitals, the patient has to wait for a staff member who speaks their language to arrive—or for an interpreter from an outside agency to be called in. The time lost waiting for those versed in the language is precious.” Often, says Hayes, patients try to rely on family members for assistance. By using the real-time interpreting service, the patient and family can be assured that clear communication with proper medical terminology will occur, reducing the chance for error.
The interpreters, as part of the service, can obtain informed consent for treatment; explain to caregivers the patient’s symptoms, any medications taken and review medical history; provide the patient with a diagnosis, prognosis and recommendation for treatment; and offer information about discharge from the hospital, among other areas of assistance.
“Staff members and physicians feel that the system is far more personal for the patient and is quick and easy to use, resulting in better patient care. Patients and families love it because they are able to quickly converse with a trained person they can see on screen who speaks their language, which ensures their comfort,” concludes Hayes.
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