3 Tips to reduce costs of interpretation services
In the United States, some 47 million residents speak more than 340 languages other than English. As the country’s population becomes more diverse, it is clear that clinics and hospitals are encountering multilingual patients on a daily basis. The healthcare industry is aware of the importance of languages and cannot afford the slightest error. A single mistake can put several lives at risk and risks financial claims.
In this article, we will describe the importance of translation services in healthcare. We will also explain the three main advantages of having a tailor-made contract with a reliable simultaneous interpretation company.
Data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau clearly illustrates the diversity of languages spoken in Pittsburgh alone. 11% of the population uses a language other than English. Of that 11% the languages with the highest representation show that:
Medical interpreters are known to help healthcare personnel understand the gestures, slang and body language of the person being examined. Their role is paramount to facilitate communication.
These professionals must ensure the message gets across accurately and without being “filtered”. What this means is that they cannot add or subtract any information.
Lack of a trained professional interpreter during a patient visit can have dramatic consequences. Ineffective communication between physicians and patients is serious, and can have devastating effects for all involved. These language barriers could result in the malpractice or death of a patient with the ensuing legal suit. Therefore, the healthcare sector needs professional interpreting services to serve this diverse population.
That is why healthcare professionals and medical administrators need a cost-effective and error-free output. The most powerful multilingual communication solution is to integrate translation technologies into the healthcare environment if you want your medical facilities to perform at top level.
To solve this issue, new technologies can be acquired. Innovations such as machine-learning translation can help stakeholders save time, money and, most importantly, the lives of Pittsburgh’s residents. This cutting-edge technology refers to the process when computer software translates a text from the source language into the target language without human intervention. Having said this, the human interpreter will use this tool to speed up the process and guarantee accuracy of the translation.
Both parties, physicians and administrators, can also turn to simultaneous translation companies, which offer contracts tailored to the needs of the hospital institution.
Over time, the primary care sector has seen many advances in attracting new patients by incorporating the diversity of residents in terms of languages spoken.
Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic presents a high risk during patient contact. In these cases, video remote interpretation availability can be decisive for the correct diagnosis of the patient without exposing the caregivers to the danger of contagion.
As an additional advantage to this system, there is convenience in over-the-phone interpretation rates for persons being treated with any ailment. Patients or caretakers no longer need to spend hours looking for an available translator or requesting quotes. The facility-tailored agreement with a Pittsburgh translation company will provide what is needed at previously agreed rates.
The actual cost of interpreting services for hospitals and clinics is high and can be reduced considerably by using various tools to reduce translation costs.
For example, if a non-English speaking patient arrives urgently at your hospital, the last thing he or she would like to do at that moment is to seek urgent interpretation services. Doing so would not only be costly but also of dubious reliability, due in many cases to those interpreters having limited experience. Having certified contract interpreters in Pittsburgh is not only cost effective but also credible.
These custom-made agreements allow access to experienced interpreters even in emergencies. Telephone services or professional interpreters can usually be obtained within a short period of time, and their use actually saves costs and can improve treatment outcomes. These services are confidential since the intervening professional will not have access to the patient personal information of phone number.
According to the US department of Health and Human Services, section 601 of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d establishes that no person shall be discriminated against or denied the benefits of the Federal financial assistance program. In consequence, access to adequate healthcare facilities is a right of all citizens, and the state should go the extra mile to provide them with the best medical care. The benefits mentioned include top medical interpreting services that include cutting-edge technology.
But in a multilingual country like the United States, it is a challenge to meet the demand. Expert-level interpreting services must be present at all times to address the problem of language barriers and provide their patients with excellent professional services.
In the healthcare industry, neither physicians nor administrative staff can afford to make a mistake. A single misunderstood term can put a patient’s life at risk and lead to disaster. Taking advantage of Pittsburgh medical interpreters improves the quality and accuracy of care. It saves time and helps patients and physicians maintain smooth communication, regardless of their languages.
In conclusion, translation technologies are essential to the prosperity of the healthcare industry as they solve the issue of accuracy in communication and are cost-effective. Regardless of the language a person speaks, he or she should receive the best attention, and for this the medical industry must rely on and facilitate translation technologies.
At Language Solutions Team, we have a highly qualified team of medical interpreters and language translators who offer tailor-made services in a variety of languages.
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