Lack of standards for Oregon medical interpreters raises issues about training
Doctors who don't understand the language of their patients rely on interpreters to explain everything from a diagnosis to prescription routines.
And although Oregon is one of only a handful of states with qualification and certification exams for medical interpreters, the vast majority of interpreters working in the state have neither and don't have to.
The state recognizes three tiers of medical interpreters: registered (the basic level), qualified (tested in the language) and certified (tested in medical terminology.)
There are only 16 qualified and 25 certified medical interpreters in Oregon. That's out of an estimated 3,500 interpreters who work in the state, according to Dr. David Cardona, coordinator of the Oregon Health Care Interpreters Certification Program.
Cardona acknowledged that most interpreters in Oregon can't afford the more than $1,500 cost to get qualified and certified. He said Oregon medical interpreters make $12 to $20 an hour as independent contractors.
In comparison, Jim Stevenson of the Washington State Health Care Authority said medical interpreters, who are unionized in Washington, make $31.50 per hour.
The lack of a uniform, national testing process and the high cost of training, Cardona said, leaves room for unqualified people to work as medical interpreters.
"The main concern is the safety of the patient," he said. "From the provider perspective, this could lead to tremendous liability because if there is a misdiagnosis or bad information, the health care facility could end up with a lawsuit."
Oregon has been offering qualification exams for interpreters in more than 100 languages since March 2012. Certification tests are now available in six languages.
Oregon contracts with language testing companies to administer the exams. In 2010, the Oregon Health Authority provided a $90,000 grant toward the roughly $1 million cost for the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters to expand its exam offerings. Previously, the board only offered exams for Spanish interpreters.
On Thursday, the board announced that new certification exams will be offered in Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean. A Vietnamese exam is also in the works. Another language testing company, the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters, offers exams in Spanish, Mandarin and Arabic.
Cardona said interpreters must be at the qualified level to work at Oregon hospitals. They must be both at that level and, if the test is available, at the certified level to work at the 15 newly created coordinated care organizations serving people on the Oregon Health Plan.
Still, Cardona said that leaves the majority of interpreters in the state working with neither qualification nor certification. He said the end goal is a change in state law to require both exams for all interpreters.
But some Oregon interpreters say the effort should start with increasing pay for qualified and certified interpreters. Helen Eby, a Spanish translator and interpreter in Aloha, said the training and exams are too costly for most medical interpreters.
"I know of people who have left interpreting to go clean houses because it pays better," she said. "There's a lot of work to be done. It starts with paying qualified interpreters more."
--Andrea Castillo
And although Oregon is one of only a handful of states with qualification and certification exams for medical interpreters, the vast majority of interpreters working in the state have neither and don't have to.
The state recognizes three tiers of medical interpreters: registered (the basic level), qualified (tested in the language) and certified (tested in medical terminology.)
There are only 16 qualified and 25 certified medical interpreters in Oregon. That's out of an estimated 3,500 interpreters who work in the state, according to Dr. David Cardona, coordinator of the Oregon Health Care Interpreters Certification Program.
Cardona acknowledged that most interpreters in Oregon can't afford the more than $1,500 cost to get qualified and certified. He said Oregon medical interpreters make $12 to $20 an hour as independent contractors.
In comparison, Jim Stevenson of the Washington State Health Care Authority said medical interpreters, who are unionized in Washington, make $31.50 per hour.
The lack of a uniform, national testing process and the high cost of training, Cardona said, leaves room for unqualified people to work as medical interpreters.
"The main concern is the safety of the patient," he said. "From the provider perspective, this could lead to tremendous liability because if there is a misdiagnosis or bad information, the health care facility could end up with a lawsuit."
Oregon has been offering qualification exams for interpreters in more than 100 languages since March 2012. Certification tests are now available in six languages.
Oregon contracts with language testing companies to administer the exams. In 2010, the Oregon Health Authority provided a $90,000 grant toward the roughly $1 million cost for the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters to expand its exam offerings. Previously, the board only offered exams for Spanish interpreters.
On Thursday, the board announced that new certification exams will be offered in Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean. A Vietnamese exam is also in the works. Another language testing company, the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters, offers exams in Spanish, Mandarin and Arabic.
Cardona said interpreters must be at the qualified level to work at Oregon hospitals. They must be both at that level and, if the test is available, at the certified level to work at the 15 newly created coordinated care organizations serving people on the Oregon Health Plan.
Still, Cardona said that leaves the majority of interpreters in the state working with neither qualification nor certification. He said the end goal is a change in state law to require both exams for all interpreters.
But some Oregon interpreters say the effort should start with increasing pay for qualified and certified interpreters. Helen Eby, a Spanish translator and interpreter in Aloha, said the training and exams are too costly for most medical interpreters.
"I know of people who have left interpreting to go clean houses because it pays better," she said. "There's a lot of work to be done. It starts with paying qualified interpreters more."
--Andrea Castillo
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