Abstract
The most pervasive need of non-English-speaking immigrants and refugees is interpretation for every English transaction. Interpretation is needed in stores, schools, and job training, and it is of critical importance in health care. If medical interpretation is unavailable or mismanaged, the costs can be enormous; these costs include human costs such as unnecessary pain and suffering and the substantial financial consequences of care for patients who present at late stages of an illness or who are unable to give a clear and meaningful history. While the potential cost savings of having skilled interpretation has never been adequately assessed, the assumption is that physicians willerr on the conservative side, and will rely on technology to answer questions if they suspect the patient is not able to provide a clear history. Consequently, blood tests, X rays, and CT scans are ordered unnecessarily, or conversely, tests may be needed but not ordered when physicians are unsure of the true nature of the complaint. These are high stakes, both in human terms and health system dollars.
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Jackson, C. (1998). Medical Interpretation. In: Loue, S. (eds) Handbook of Immigrant Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1936-6_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1936-6_4
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