A Real Life Example

The book “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down,” written by Anne Fadiman, describes the cultural and medical misunderstandings that occurred between a Hmong refugee family and the American healthcare system.  Lia suffered severe epilepsy, which causes frequent seizures. Hmong people believe that seizures happen because a spirit catches the person, whereas American doctors identified the imbalance of chemicals as the cause of seizures. Without any medical interpreters, the family could only rely on the help of relatives for informal interpretation. While American doctors prescribed appropriate medicine for Lia, the family never gave Lia the right dosage because they did not understand the doctors’ instructions. Moreover, the Hmong community felt skeptical of modern medicine. As the cultural misunderstanding and confusion continued, Lia’s condition worsened.

Lessons Learned

Imagine how differently Lia’s life would turn out if a qualified medical interpreter was in place. Language skills are the basic expertise a medical interpreter should possess, but a professional interpreter should also have a rich understanding of both cultures. In addition, the interpreter should be respectful and sensible towards cultural behaviors, which can easily lead to misunderstanding between the medical providers and the families. When such occasion rises, the interpreter should react quickly and notify each party (usually with: “interpreter explanation”) and then explain the behavior as a result of cultural practices. For instance, doctors may not able to understand why family member cannot make important decisions on the spot. The interpreter should explain to the doctors that in some cultures, family members need to get together in order to make important decisions.

In the complex environment of healthcare settings, medical interpreters should be not only the communicator of different parties but also the bridge of different cultures.

Monterey Language Services strives to provide the highest quality of translation and interpretation services. Please feel free to contact us for more information.