Healthcare Sign Language Interpreting: LATN Always Delivers
Medical interpreting is a highly complex skill that requires knowledge of medical terminology and a strict objectivity of service – no editing, teaching or advocating – so that communication between patient and healthcare provider is totally unbiased and clear. LATN has 20 years’ experience providing this service, particularly in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
Optimizing communication for Deaf or hard of hearing individuals in clinical settings is extremely important for a number of reasons, the most important being that miscommunications can potentially lead to misdiagnosis, improper or delayed medical treatment, or even death. Since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, medical offices and hospitals have been required to provide effective means of communication for the Deaf and hard of hearing, not only for medical patients but also for family members and visitors. The ruling applies to all hospital programs and services receiving federal funds, including emergency rooms, inpatient and outpatient services, surgery clinics, educational classes, even cafeterias and gift shops.
Examples of discussions which require sign language interpreters:
- Symptoms, medications and medical history
- Medical conditions, treatment options and procedures
- Diagnosis and prognosis
- Informed consent for treatment
- Testing procedures and physician’s rounds
- Medication instructions, post-treatment activities and follow-up treatments
- Living wills and powers of attorney
- Complex billing or insurance matters
- Educational programs, such as birthing classes, nutrition counseling and CPR training
Methods of LATN Sign Interpreting
In addition to on-site interpreting, we are also equipped to provide video remote interpreting (VRI) of sign language anywhere in the world where wired or wireless telecommunications are available. Click here for a more detailed explanation about this option.
We can also provide real time captioning, or Communication Access Real time Translation (CART), which is translation of spoken words into text using a stenotype machine, notebook computer or real time software.
LATN performs all modalities of sign language interpreting (American Sign Language, Signed Exact English, Pidgin Signed English, etc.). Our sign language interpreters are certified by the Registry for Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and bound by the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct, of which confidentiality is a fundamental tenet. All LATN healthcare interpreters also undergo special LATN training related to medical interpreting, which emphasizes industry best practices and strict enforcement of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy policies.