Why Medical Interpreting Is Not Ordinary Translation

Medical interpreting differs from general translation because a single mistranslated term can change a diagnosis or a drug dose. Interpreters working in hospitals need familiarity with anatomy, laboratory values and treatment pathways, not only fluency in two languages. Providers should be able to describe their terminology control, double-check procedures and confidentiality arrangements. Patients are entitled to ask whether the interpreter has a medical background. For consent discussions and bad-news conversations, a trained medical interpreter should always be present rather than a family member.