The Growing Need for Medical Interpreter Services
The United States is more linguistically diverse than ever before. Millions of patients rely on Limited English Proficiency (LEP) support when seeking healthcare. For providers, this creates both challenges and opportunities: clear communication is not only critical to patient outcomes, it is also a legal requirement under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that language services are performed by a qualified medical interpreter. Medical interpreter services and healthcare translation services ensure accuracy, compliance, and trust—ultimately improving patient care and safety.
When a Single Word Changes Everything
Consider the case of Willie Ramirez, whose family used the Spanish word “intoxicado” while communicating with his doctor. Although “intoxicado” sounds similar to the English “intoxicated”, a linguistic idiosyncrasy known as a “false cognate” or “false friend”, it refers to anything ingested that could have made someone sick, not just drugs or alcohol. This false friend caused confusion in the doctor’s office because the family thought that Willie may have eaten something that made him ill, but the doctor heard “intoxicado” and made the diagnosis of a drug overdose.
The physician misinterpreted it as “intoxicated,” when in reality, it referred to food poisoning or other ingested illness. The resulting misdiagnosis delayed treatment for a brain hemorrhage, leaving Ramirez permanently paralyzed.
This case underscores a vital truth: accurate interpretation in medical interpretation between doctor and patient can save lives. Even a small misunderstanding can have devastating consequences. According to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), language services performed by a qualified medical interpreter are required by law.
Who Qualifies as a Medical Interpreter
It might be tempting to rely on family, friends, or bilingual staff to interpret. However, not everyone who speaks two languages is qualified to be a medical interpreter—and in many cases, doing so introduces serious risks.
While convenient, relying on family and friends, can raise issues of accuracy, privacy, and emotional stress. In a medical emergency or traumatic event, people often revert to their native language, making it difficult to communicate clearly in a second language. Even those normally fluent may struggle under pressure, and the added emotional strain of interpreting for a loved one can compound the situation. In some cases, the only person available may be a child, which is both inappropriate and legally restricted.
Additionally, children cannot be expected to understand medical terminology or handle sensitive discussions—such as in a gynecologist’s office—without harm to both accuracy and their well-being.
Healthcare providers sometimes turn to bilingual or multilingual staff to interpret. However, unless those staff members have formal training in medical interpretation, they may lack the specialized vocabulary, medical terminology, and cultural context needed to ensure clinical accuracy.
For these reasons, Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) specifies that interpreters must be qualified. This means they must receive professional training in medical terminology, ethics, and interpretation best practices—not just rely on conversational fluency. By requiring qualified interpreters, the law helps protect both patients and providers, ensuring safe, accurate, and legally compliant care.
What the Law Requires for Medical Interpretation
Under Section 1557, patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) have the right to receive accurate and accessible language services. This means healthcare providers cannot rely on minor children as interpreters, except in emergencies, and must place strict limitations on the use of family and friends due to concerns about accuracy, privacy, and stress.
When bilingual or multilingual staff are used, they must be properly trained in medical interpretation, demonstrating oral proficiency in English and another language as well as a mastery of medical vocabulary and terminology. Conversational fluency alone does not meet the standard of care. Equally important, providers cannot require patients to bring their own interpreters or pressure them into declining professional language services. These safeguards ensure that LEP patients can access care without fear, hesitation, or compromise.
The 2024 Final Rule builds on these protections with even stronger requirements.
- Healthcare organizations must now display a Notice of Availability of free language assistance services in both English and the top 15 most common LEP languages in their state, available in person and online.
- Entities with 15 or more employees are required to appoint a Section 1557 Coordinator responsible for compliance, including grievance procedures and record keeping. The rule also reinforces that auxiliary aids and services—such as sign language interpreters, braille, captioning, or large print—must be provided at no cost to patients, including during telehealth visits.
- Healthcare providers must ensure that clinical decision-support tools, including AI-driven algorithms, do not result in discriminatory bias, safeguarding equitable treatment across all aspects of care.
📌Related Resource: Here
In addition, Section 1557 mandates the translation of medical documents—including consent forms, discharge instructions, and patient education materials—to ensure safe and equitable care.
Why Accuracy in Translation of Medical Documents Matters
Accurate medical translation is just as critical as spoken medical interpretation. A poorly translated pamphlet or discharge instruction can easily result in medication errors, misunderstandings, or even unnecessary re-admissions. That is why professional healthcare translation services play such a vital role in patient care. They ensure that written instructions are not only clear, but also culturally appropriate for the audience receiving them.
Professional medical translation also keeps critical medical documents compliant with HIPAA standards, reducing legal and regulatory risk. For providers, this combination of accuracy and compliance translates into better patient safety, stronger trust, and fewer liabilities.
SpokenHere provides HIPAA compliant over-the-phone interpretation (OPI) and video-remote interpretation (VRI) services for healthcare providers across the US. Our OPI and VRI services are available 24/7/365 in over 200 languages so that you can provide the highest quality care to your LEP patients. We also provide accurate medical document translation in any format that you need.
Let’s talk about building a language access plan that works for your patients and your team. Call us at (281)607-2505 or contact us online. Your information is never shared with any third-party vendors.