第六章 CommonwealthofMassachusetts.docVIP

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services Massachusetts Department of Public Health BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOSPITAL-BASED INTERPRETER SERVICES Office of Minority Health Brunilda Torres, LICSW, Director brunilda.torres@state.ma.us  Table of Contents Background 2 Policies and Procedures 6 Publicizing the right and availability of interpreter services Identifying and assessing the language needs of all patients Determining staffing arrangements to be used for oral language assistance Guiding staff in providing the appropriate type of interpreter service Assuring proper documentation of the LEP patient encounter Providing timely and uniform telephone communication Translating written materials Ensuring ongoing, periodic training and assessment of staff Collecting data Establishing an ongoing monitoring and evaluation process Needs Assessment 11 Patient Oriented Assessment of Language Needs Internal Assessment of Institutional Needs Delivery System 13 Coordinator and Administrative Structure Scheduling and Tracking System Models of Oral Language Assistance and Recommendations for Use Staff interpreters Contract interpreters Employee language banks Community interpreter banks Telephonic services Remote simultaneous interpretation Guidelines for Translation of Written Materials Training and Competency 21 Interpreter Training Staff/provider Training Competency Assessment Core skills Core knowledge Code of ethics Monitoring and Evaluation 28 Additional Resources 29 Appendices and websites 30 I. BACKGROUND Effective communication between patients and their health care providers is vital to achieving access to quality care and ensuring good health outcomes. Nowhere is this more essential than the Emergency Department, where lack of accurate, complete, and timely information can result in critical impediments to care. In recognition of this, the recently enacted Chapter 6