What should a clinic provide when a patient speaks a language different from the clinician's?

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Providing language-access resources is essential when a patient and clinician do not share a common language. Interpreter services ensure communication is accurate and complete, supporting truly informed consent, clear explanations of diagnoses and treatments, proper understanding of medications, and an opportunity for patients to ask questions. Interpreters can be in person, by phone, or via video, and they help protect confidentiality and show cultural respect.

An English-only policy blocks access to care and can be discriminatory. Relying on family members to translate can introduce errors, omit important medical details, and raise confidentiality concerns. Written instructions in English alone assume the patient’s literacy and language ability and miss real-time questions and clarifications.

So, interpreter services or language-access resources best support safe, effective, patient-centered care.