A Daunting Barrier
Towards the end of 2016, a record 64.7 million non-English speakers resided within the United States. In fact, the United States now boasts more Spanish speakers than Spain! However, 63% of Hispanic immigrants living in the United States cannot speak English, and 41% assess their English speaking ability at “below basic.” This percentage is higher than any other immigrant group in the U.S.
Assessing a Need
After a quick perusal of statistics, it becomes clearer and clearer why the need for medical Spanish translation is on the rise. And while many doctors claim to know a second language which they can use within their medical practices, the Center for Advancing Health reports that doctors often overrate how effectively they can speak a second language in the context of patient care.
In a field where frequent, thorough, and accurate communication is crucial, medicine has no room for mistakes or misinterpretations. In fact, these kinds of misunderstandings or translation errors could be matters of life or death.
Bridging the Gap
Luckily, medical Spanish translation services are widely available, even for the numerous specialized fields of healthcare. With the nuanced language present in every medical specialty, utilizing these professional services is crucial in order to maximize patient understanding. Conversations between healthcare providers and their patients can be translated in person or via telecommunication, and medical documents can also be translated by the same medical Spanish translation services.
Higher Patient Satisfaction, Better Healthcare
One study published in the Health Services Research Journal concluded that the use of professional medical interpreting services had a positive impact on clinical care for patients with limited English speaking ability. In everything from an emergency setting to a routine health maintenance visit, many patients in the United States would be at a loss without the use of medical Spanish translation. However, with professionals at companies like Linguistic Areté dedicated to providing the most quality translations, any patient can be confident in the management of their health.
