Professional Standards of Practice by Organization
- IMIA (International Medical Interpreters Association) Standards of Practice
- Language Line University Standards of Practice
- NCIHC (National Council on Interpreting in Health Care) Standards of Practice
- ASTM Standards of Practice
- RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf) Standards of Practice
- CHIA (California Healthcare Interpreting Association) Standards of Practice
"The Medical Interpreting Standards of Practice are founded on the premise that an interpreter's primary task is interpretation, that is, the transformation of a message expressed in a source language into its equivalent in a target language, so that the interpreted message has the potential of eliciting the same response in the listener as the original message (Seleskovitch, 1978; Cokely, 1088; Downing and Swabey, 1992). To be able to do this, the interpreters must not only be fluent in both the source and target languages but must also have the skills and knowledge base to be able to comprehend the message quickly in the source language and just as quickly re-express it in the target language...."
Read more about IMIA's Standards of Practice at
http://www.imiaweb.org/standards/standards.asp
Language Line Services has established standards on interpreting, including interpreting for healthcare clients, based on its extensive experience as well as the best practice in the industry. The document, “Interpreters Guidelines and Procedures,” covers all aspects of interpreters’ work, with an emphasis on accuracy/completeness, and confidentiality.
Additionally, it took into consideration Standards of Practice developed by the California Healthcare Interpreters Association (CHIA) and the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC). Given the unique requirements and context of telephonic interpreting, Language Line Services made adaptations without compromising the essence of the standards of practice widely accepted within the profession.
With regards to accuracy, Language Line Services’ Standards of Practice address the need to manage the flow of communication to listen for “verbal cues” that might indicate confusion on the part of either of the speakers in the interpreting encounter. This specific guideline compensates for the visual cues available to interpreters working in face-to-face settings.
The Confidentiality standard was enhanced by requiring that the best sound quality be maintained by the interpreter through the use of an appropriate headset and type of phone when interpreting. Language Line Services’ interpreters are also required to destroy all notes taken during the course of interpreting each day.
Professionalism as a Standard of Practice is further reinforced by Language Line Services by means of requiring interpreters to always have available and use material provided by clients to facilitate the communication. Also, Language Line Services’ interpreters must maintain a separate phone line with no special features added to it which could compromise the call.
Finally, an additional standard was added by Language Line Services to apply specifically to the issue of Advocacy. Given the very nature of telephonic interpreting, advocacy cannot be engaged in by Language Line Services’ interpreters, except by means of clarification to ensure that total and complete information is provided to the limited English proficient caller.
With these necessary additions to the standards set forth by NCIHC and CHIA, Language Line Services’ interpreters are fully compliant with the standards of the profession, and are also meeting the internal standards established by Language Line Services for telephonic interpreting.
Read more about Language Line® University’s Standards of Practice at http://languagelineuniversity.com
"The National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC) has published the National Standards of Practice for Interpreters in Health Care, the first such standards for medical interpreting professionals in the United States.
Co-funded by The Commonwealth Fund and The California Endowment, the standards were developed through a national consensus-building process that included focus groups and surveys of hundreds of working health care interpreters from across the United States over a two-year period. State and regional organizations also participated..."
Read more about NCIHC's Standards of Practice at
http://www.ncihc.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=57768&orgId=ncihc
ASTM F 2089,“Standard Guide for Language Interpretation Services,” drafted by a team representing interpreter training institutions, interpreter service providers, professional interpreter associations, interpreters, and interpreter service end-users, identifies the components of quality language interpretation services and establishes criteria for each component. These criteria define the minimum standard of quality services in the language interpretation industry with reference to distinctive characteristics of specific settings, including the healthcare setting.
Read more of ASTM Standard Guide for Language Interpretation Services at
http://www.astm.org/Standards/F2089.htm
Attempting to take over where the ADA leaves off with this definition, RID, in its role as the national association representing the profession, strives to maintain high standards for its members – above and beyond that required by the ADA. This elevates the interpreter holding RID credentials and sets the bar for interpreting services throughout the profession.
Possessing RID certification is a highly valued asset for an interpreter and
helps you to stand above the rest.
Read more about RID's Standards of Practice at
http://www.rid.org/interpreting/overview/index.cfm/AID/59
"Our California Standards for Healthcare Interpreters are an essential tool for raising language-service quality and quality of care.
They are now also the law.* Starting in 2009, all interpreters who provide service to limited-English speaking enrollees and beneficiaries covered under commercial health plans or insurance must get trained in interpreting ethics, conduct and confidentiality” as set out in “the standards promulgated by the California Healthcare Interpreting Association…”
Read more about CHIA's Standards of Practice at
http://chiaonline.org/content/blogcategory/40/114/