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Orderlies as interpreters in Papua New Guinea
Papua and New Guinea Medical Journal
|September 1, 1976
Summary
Medical orderlies act as untrained interpreters, often achieving adequate communication. However, their medical knowledge can hinder understanding when patient-deemed vital information is dismissed as irrelevant, causing communication breakdowns.
Area of Science:
- Medical Communication
- Linguistic Studies
Background:
- Medical orderlies frequently serve as linguistic intermediaries in healthcare settings.
- Formal interpreter training is typically lacking for these roles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of medical orderlies as untrained interpreters.
- To identify strengths and weaknesses in their communication facilitation.
Main Methods:
- Observational analysis of communication dynamics between patients and medical orderlies.
- Assessment of information equivalence achieved during patient-provider interactions.
Main Results:
- Medical orderlies generally achieve adequate linguistic equivalence.
- Medical training, while a strength, can lead to communication barriers when subjective relevance differs.
Conclusions:
- Untrained medical orderlies can be effective interpreters but face challenges with information relevance.
- Systemic improvements are needed to address potential communication failures in complex medical scenarios.