Interpreters do more than translate, and patient care suffers when systems ignore it

At its heart, health care is a conversation.

A patient needs to explain what is wrong.

They need to understand their options.

They need to make decisions about their own care.

Clinicians need clear information, too.

They need to understand symptoms, explain risks, discuss treatment and check whether advice has been understood.

When information is not successfully communicated, both sides lose something important. ...