ISO 21998:2020 pdf download Interpreting services — Healthcare interpreting — Requirements and recommendations
4 Healthcare interpreter competences
4.1 Patient safety competence Healthcare interpreters shall have the knowledge about patient safety needed in order to facilitate safe communication between individuals who do not share the same language in the provision of healthcare services. The right to health services has been well documented in several international documents, and are included in the Bibliography. All healthcare professionals, including healthcare interpreters, have such obligations, and are responsible for providing services to patients in a manner that ensures their safety. Therefore, this competence is required not only to achieve the intended communicative results, but in doing so, to also ensure patient safety, with respect to their interpreting services to all parties, within the context of healthcare delivery. The competences set out in 4.2 to 4.10 are required for healthcare interpreting.
4.2 Linguistic proficiency competence Healthcare interpreters shall have the documented linguistic proficiency competences required for interpreting in professional settings. The language proficiency required for spoken healthcare interpreters shall include speaking, listening comprehension, including the ability to comprehend various regional accents or dialectal differences, and reading comprehension skills. These skills shall include the ability to comprehend the language being used, and the respective reception, and production of messages. Healthcare interpreters shall recognize various registers, including formal and informal, subject-based vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, colloquialisms, and slangs. They shall have an ability to interpret both formal and informal spoken or signed language. In healthcare, due to the highly technical nature of medical communication, a high enough level of linguistic competence is required for an individual to be able to interpret accurately between two languages. Linguistic competence is not the same as interpreting competence. It is recommended that interpreting service providers, or educators, document linguistic proficiency competence and interpreting competence separately.
4.3 Intercultural competence Healthcare interpreters shall use culturally appropriate language and behaviour, and shall be aware of and able to convey cultural nuances in order to render them in their linguistic output, gestures, and tone. When necessary, healthcare interpreters shall bridge the cultural and conceptual gaps separating participants. They shall recognize and address cultural issues, via intercultural inquiry, to ensure accurate and complete understanding.
4.4 Interpersonal competence Healthcare interpreters shall be professional in their interactions with others. They shall behave appropriately, both verbally and non-verbally. They shall be flexible and patient with others, and be able to work in a team, with multiple healthcare providers or with those involved in relay interpreting. They shall possess problem-solving skills. Healthcare interpreters contend with interactions in stressful and difficult life circumstances amid cultural and linguistic diversity. These situations are not always amicable and require interpersonal skills. Healthcare interpreters shall be able to build therapeutic rapport with the main participants and to exhibit self-control in all communicative events.
4.5 Technical competence Healthcare interpreters shall be able to use the interpreting technology required for each particular interpreting situation, including distance interpreting. Healthcare interpreters shall demonstrate competence to use interpreting equipment (such as microphone, audio- and video-conferencing technology). Competences and skills also include image management, volume control, microphone etiquette, and signals for meta-communication.
4.6 Competence in health-related terminological research In order to stay up to date with current healthcare terminology glossaries, healthcare interpreters shall research relevant terminology databases or resources, and have the ability to retrieve the information collected and knowledge acquired using suitable aids.
4.7 Healthcare related competence
Healthcare interpreters shall:
a) understand the organizational systems involved in the delivery of healthcare services;
b) be aware of the most common cultural health traditions and beliefs of their patient populations;
c) follow the protocols and norms of working in different medical specializations (e.g. mental health,
emergency care, end of life);
d) utilize medical terminology in a variety of specialties in two or more languages;
e) be able to ensure their own safety;
f) be familiar with the appropriate protocols and mechanisms of difficult case post-conferences.ISO 21998:2020 pdf download