Precision in Gastrointestinal Interpretation

Patients frequently describe GI symptoms using everyday sensory or experiential language. Interpreters must convey these descriptions accurately to allow clinicians to evaluate the mechanical or functional nature of the issue without any distortion of meaning.

• Patient: “It feels like a fire in my chest after I eat.” Interpreter: “The patient reports a burning sensation in the chest following meals.”
• Patient: “Food keeps getting stuck in my throat.” Interpreter: “The patient reports a sensation of food being lodged in the throat.”
• Why this matters: General terms such as “stomach ache” can refer to a wide range of conditions. Accurately conveying a patient’s exact description helps a clinician determine if the symptom is consistent with GERD (acid reflux) or Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).

Distinguishing Between Similar Conditions

Gastroenterology includes many conditions and procedures that sound similar but indicate very different clinical paths. Incomplete or generalized interpretation can compromise patient understanding and lead to treatment approaches that are not indicated.

• IBD vs. IBS:
  • IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease): Includes conditions like Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, which involve chronic inflammation and visible damage to the digestive tract.
  • IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome): A functional disorder that causes pain and discomfort but does not cause inflammation or permanent damage to the organs.
• Endoscopy vs. Colonoscopy: While both involve using a camera (endoscope) to view the digestive tract, an Endoscopy (EGD) looks at the upper GI tract (esophagus, stomach, and duodenum), while a Colonoscopy examines the large intestine (colon).

Clinical Significance of Patient Descriptions

Accurately rendering how a patient describes their symptoms—without interpretation or substitution—is critical in gastrointestinal care.

• Melena: A patient might report “black, sticky stools.” This should be rendered exactly as stated. If an interpreter substitutes this with “dark stools,” the clinician might miss a critical sign of upper GI bleeding.
• Hematochezia: A patient might report “bright red blood when I go to the bathroom.” This specific detail points to lower GI bleeding, whereas a generalized term like “bleeding” is less diagnostically useful.

GI Systems and Procedure Classification

Gastroenterological evaluation focuses on the function of the digestive organs and the movement of food and waste through the body. Clinicians assess how signals, enzymes, and muscles work together within the GI tract.

• ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography): A specialized procedure used to study the bile ducts, pancreatic duct, and gallbladder.
• Ascites: The accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, often associated with advanced liver disease. If an interpreter omits clinical qualifiers or simplifies the patient’s description of “swelling,” the clinician’s assessment of the severity of liver dysfunction may be affected.

Faithfully rendering the specific terminology used by clinicians and accurately conveying the patient’s description of events supports clinical evaluation. Generalizing or simplifying terminology may obscure distinctions that are relevant to diagnosis and life-saving treatment planning.

Medical terminology comes on top. Medical interpretation requires a strong understanding of medical terminology in both the source and target languages. It is important to know the meaning of medical terms and jargon in order to accurately convey information. If an interpreter doesn’t understand a word, he or she should ask for a simpler explanation, so that the conversation between the doctor and the patient is flawless.

In addition, it’s best to always use clear and concise language when interpreting medical information. Using straightforward, easy to understand language will help ensure that the patient understands the information being provided. Do your best to avoid medical jargon or technical terms that the patient may not be familiar with. But if you do end up having to use it, be sure you understand what it means so you can explain it if necessary.

That being said, be sure to be in the know-how of how the medical field works. Whether it’s of internal medicine, neurology, radiology, pediatrics, cardiology, outpatient surgery, gastroenterology, urology, intensive care, orthopedics, physical therapy, community health, emergency, gynecology and more, an interpreter should be prepared and understand each specialty. This can help you as an interpreter to better understand the medical information being provided and to accurately convey it to the patient.

There are a lot of cultures out there that deal with medical visits differently. You may have  mastered the source and target languages in the medical field, but you also need to be culturally sensitive and can bridge the gap between the two cultures you are interpreting in. Something important beyond what is being said, the interpreter should serve as an advocate to bring that underlining meaning out to all parties involved. This can help the doctor and the patient understand each other better. Medical interpretation is unique in this sense. To communicate fully in order to provide and receive the best treatment.

As an interpreter, you should always keep whatever occurs in the appointment confidential. Medical interpreters should always respect the confidentiality of the patient and not share any personal or medical information without the patient’s consent or unless required by law. A medical interpreter should always remain impartial and avoid giving personal opinions or advice to the patient regarding make their own decisions and conclusions.

Medical interpretation is a valuable service to the community. It’s a very rewarding experience for us at Monterey Language Services. We have a great sense of helping others by providing medical interpretation to LEP (Limited English Proficiency) patients. Our goal is to put their mind at ease that their words are being understood, and they are understanding the words being said to them as well. This is what we call the essence of medical interpretation.