Patient Consent —More than a Signature

In the latest volume of the Journal of Medical Regulation (Volume 99, number 3, 2013) David Nyberg, Ph.D  wrote a fantastic article titled, “Obtaining Meaningful Informed Consent: Guidelines from the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine.” In the article, he writes about “a communications gap between what the physician offers and what the patient formally affirms with a signature in terms of information, comprehension, and meaningful consent” (Nyberg 18).

This breakdown in communication can be avoided when the focus shifts from the patient’s signature to his or her comprehension and ability to make an informed decision with the necessary information provided. It’s exciting to read that the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine is focusing on this necessary change. The Board advocates for a model that emphasizes “clarity, relevance, accuracy, and sincerity” in communication (19). At TLC, we advocate for a similar focus when we interpret or translate for medical professionals. We do this because we understand that feelings of stress, anxiety and even anger are amplified when this positive communication model is not just temporarily absent, but unavailable due to language barriers.

A question remains for those in the profession who do not promote the above-mentioned communication model: How can a patient truly consent and participate in the patient-physician relationship if information is not written or explained in his or her native language?

TLC can help provide the clarity, relevance, accuracy and sincerity patients and physicians need.

By translating relevant documents into a patient’s native language, you can provide him or her with comprehension of pertinent information. Sharing and explaining complex medical information is a skill. As a physician, you may possess that skill in your native tongue, but it is necessary to provide the same level of clarity to patients in their primary language.

Our linguists are selected for their quality and dedication to the study of translation and/or interpretation. Our linguists are dedicated to learning new information and being up-to-date with current terms and changes in language. We can provide you with an interpreter or translator who has expertise in medical vocabulary to help you provide the information necessary for a relevant, clear conversation.

It’s important for patients to have an advocate with them during important medical decisions if they feel the need, but an interpreter plays a different role. Having a family member, friend or acquaintance act as an interpreter for a patient can be dangerous and inaccurate. Bilinguals may speak two languages fluently, but—as the American Translators Association points out—they are not necessarily good at moving information between those two languages (Durban 7). Using a native speaker who has not been trained in translation could lead to incorrect or biased information being relayed to the patient.  In both the medical profession and in linguistics, accuracy should be prioritized.

Maintaining a positive patient-physician relationship is also a priority. That is why patients’ consent documents are important. They represent, as Dr. Nyberg describes it, “the existence of a relationship between physician and patient that is based upon, or at least includes, an element of shared decision making” (19). Patients and physicians need to be able to actively participate in a conversation to build their relationship. With our skilled interpreters, we facilitate that conversation so that you can provide the sincere service needed to create a beneficial, long-lasting patient-physician relationship.

Works Cited:

Durban, Chris. Interpreting, Getting it Right. Alexandria: American Translators Association, 2011. Web.

Nyberg, David. “Obtaining Meaningful Informed Consent: Guidelines from the Main Board of Licensure in Medicine.” Journal of Medical Regulation 99.3 (2013):18-21). Print.