Can we learn from each other?: Interpreting services in healthcare settings in Barcelona and Montreal. Needs experienced and solutions adopted. Noelia Burdeus-Domingo, PhD
Abstract
CI in healthcare
Community interpreting (CI) services are making their way into public healthcare settings, as they are necessary to ensure that users who do not master the local language receive decent healthcare. This poster presents some thoughts extracted from a multiple case study that compares the healthcare CI services offered in Barcelona and Montreal (both cities characterised by their high levels of immigration and bilingualism). This study takes into consideration the experiences reported by all the participants of the mediated communication. It is based on the experiences of interpreters, mediators, users, healthcare professionals and managers of these services, and describes both realities. This poster briefly points out some of the similarities and differences spotted between these two healthcare interpreting settings. Finally, it draws attention to some aspects of the CI services provided which, should they be modified taking into consideration some experiences lived in the other city, could be beneficial to optimise the services offered.
Purposes 1. To observe how CI services are organized in healthcare settings in Barcelona and Montreal. 2. To compare the CI services offered in of both cities’ healthcare settings. If a readaptation of the CI model(s) is proven convenient : 3. To elaborate recommendations based on the experiences of one city’s CI settings, adapted to the other city’s social reality or To propose a third adaptable solution
Introduction
Catalonia Functions non clearly defined
Egalitarian access to the public services: fundamental right
Canada All healthcare centres have access to CI services.
Lack of recognition of the profession
CI
Québec MSSS inspired the creation of interpreters banks.
Lack of specific training
Different PSI professional profiles
Lower level organization
Table 1. CI in healthcare in Spain and Canada. State of the art.
Professional profiles
Methodology • Non experimental qualitative research • Multiple case study (comparation of descriptive studies) • CI analysed: • As a social communicative phenomenon, in the healthcare sector • From a human point of view: Detailed indirect observation
Materials Barcelona Montreal Interpreters/ Semi-structured mediators interviews Healthcare * Burdeusproviders Domingo (2010) Managers of CI services
15
16
26
13
9
2
Users
101
• Clearly defined function: To ensure communication interpreting Chart 4. Different verbal and nonprofessional profiles. verbal language, • Functions not as well as cultural clearly defined: codes, without Different main interfering in functions/shared communication. function: Table 2. Some results of the comparison of the CI services offered in interpreting Barcelona’s and Montreal’s healthcare settings. Languages A few foreign Representative languages > ES foreign languages/EN/FR > EN/FR Interpreting
Limited service hours
9
Table 2. Materials: Sample and Research methods.
Conclusions Recommendations to optimise the services provided:
Interviews: Content analysis Constant comparison
Transcription / Notes
Trust in treatments ↓ Quality of healthcare services
Chart 1. Need for CI services in healthcare.
• Great range of different practices in this context confusion over the role of healthcare interpreters (Hale, 2007)
Always available Some healthcare centres require previous authorisation
Table 3. Some results of the comparison of the CI services offered in Barcelona and Montreal.
Barcelona
Montreal
Private initiatives Institutional initiatives
Need to promote the acknowledgement of CI by recognised professional bodies and associations.
Government-regulated professional profile Quality Healthcare Communication
of
Several professional One profesional profiles profile: Cultural interpreter Intercultural mediator
Access
Analysis
Needs + interests Society polarisation Social exclusion marginalisation Conflict
Barcelona Montreal CI services’ To improve the quality of communication. purposes To increase the quality of care. Organization Public Initiative Interpreters Banks (IMPH): service (BII), managed by implantation the ASSSM (created • Management: upon request of the Healthcare centres MSSS) • Financing: Mixed (NGOs, subsidies, Private iniciatives: etc.) SCIS (MCH) • Service: External agencies
Chart 2. Healthcare CI in Catalonia.
Questionnaires *MIRAS (2010)
↗ Migratory flows
Multicultural societies
Spain • Basic Spanish Friends/relatives • Written material • “Bilingual” staff • Volunteers • Ad hoc CI services
Results
Interview
Segmentatio n
Codification/ Classification
Results
Chart 3. Content analysis procedure.
Questionnaires: Systematic classification of contents in tables and graphical presentation of data Multiple triangulation: Data and method Triangulation of results/city Conclusions
Interpreters bank: Better response to the actual needs (languages and hours) By learning from each other’s successes and avoiding each other’s mistakes, CI can be easier defined and consolidated, even though its practice must be adapted to the needs of every reality. Table 4. Some conclusions deriving from the triangulation and discussion of results.
Contact Noelia Burdeus-Domingo MIRAS research group Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
[email protected] +34 657 80 44 34 / +1 516 568 1082
References 1. 2. 3. 4.
Bowen, S. (2011). Les barrières linguistiques dans l’accès aux services de santé- État des connaissances et pratiques exemplaires. En RCSSS, Rencontre d’échanges. Burdeus-Domingo, N. (2010). Interpretación en los servicios públicos en el ámbito sanitario en la provincia de Barcelona. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Disponible en http://ddd.uab.cat/pub/trerecpro/2010/hdl_2072_170116/Treball_de_recerca_Noelia_Burdeus_Domingo.pdf Hale, S. (2007). Community Interpreting (1st ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. MIRAS (2010): Traducción e Inmigración: la formación de traductores e intérpretes para los servicios públicos, nuevas soluciones para nuevas realidades
