Health Care Settings

Effective communication between consumers who are deaf or hard of hearing and health care providers is essential to provide safe and effective medical treatment.

Title III of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to all private health care providers, regardless of the size of the office or the number of employees. It applies to providers of both physical and mental health care. Hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric and psychological services, offices of private physicians, dentists, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and health clinics are included among the health care providers covered by the ADA.

Using a qualified sign language interpreter not only helps to ensure that the health care provider is compliant with the ADA, but it allows the deaf or hard of hearing patient to fully participate and make decisions in health care treatment. A qualified interpreter is an interpreter who is able to interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively and expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary.

Without interpreting services, medical staff run the risk of not understanding the patient’s symptoms, misdiagnosing the patient’s medical problem, and prescribing inadequate or even harmful treatment. Similarly, patients may not understand medical instructions and warnings or prescription guidelines.

A health care facility may be asked to provide a qualified sign language interpreter when the consumer is a deaf or hard of hearing patient, a relative or a partner involved in the patient’s health care. When critical medical information is communicated during routine wellness care, urgent care, preventative care, surgical procedure, or in obtaining an informed consent for treatment, using a sign language interpreter can facilitate communication and keep it smooth, accurate and efficient. Classes, support groups and other activities that are open to the public must also be accessible for deaf participants. The use of an interpreter enables all of the parties involved to ask questions, express concerns, receive accurate and important information, and avoid the frustration that may arise with miscommunication.

EIS encourages interpreters working in health care settings to receive advance training in order to interpret complex medical terminology. Interpreters must hold a current RID certification to assure a minimum level of interpreting competence and must adhere to the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct