Szpitale w Nowym Jorku cierpią z powodu niedoboru tłumaczy. Co 3 pacjent szpitali na Queensie mówi po chińsku. Problem tłumaczeń medycznych to wierzchołek góry lodowej, 2 mln Nowojorczyków słabo mówi po angielsku...

New York Hospitals Struggling With Patient Language Services

With a Chinese patient population of approximately 30 percent, the New York Hospital of Queens has launched a monthly health education series for native Chinese-speakers. The lectures are part of the hospital's Community Health Initiatives program. While local leaders have praised the hospital for going beyond basic language access rights, the program is also a reminder of how much is not being done in other communities. More than 1.8 million of New York City's 8 million residents have limited English proficiency (LEP), according to the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. The Joint Center for Economic and Political Studies reports that the LEP population is underserved in healthcare and that the resulting inequalities come at great expense to the economy. Gayle Tang, Senior Director of National Diversity and Inclusion at Kaiser Permanente, agrees and says, "Organizations, leaders, and decision-makers really need to understand that language access is a business imperative, not a minority issue." Language access advocates also point out that patient education is just a small piece of the bigger picture. Researcher Cindy Brach of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says the problem requires a multi-pronged approach, including availability of healthcare information in a patient's native language, medical interpreting services, and translation of discharge instructions. Experts cite interpreting services as an example of how difficult it has been to make progress. Although a 2006 law mandated free language services in the city's top six non-English languages, there is still a significant difference in how the law is being carried out, especially in access to interpreters. New York Immigration Coalition Advocate Claudia Calhoon says even getting healthcare providers to consistently use interpreter services is a challenge. Tang remains hopeful, however. "It's a matter of people getting together and being able to leverage each others' resources," she says.

From "Healthcare in Translation" 
NY City Lens (NY) (10/20/14) Lem, Pola Aniela