Are Doctors Required to Provide Interpreters for
Medical Visits and Other Medical-Related
Situations?
5 | P a g e
Q. Can a health care provider require family members and friends to
interpret for deaf patients?
A. Generally, no. Family members often do not possess sufficient sign language
skills to effectively interpret in a medical setting. Even if they are skilled enough in
sign language to communicate, family members and friends are very often too
emotionally or personally involved to interpret "effectively, accurately, and
impartially." Finally, using family members and friends as interpreters can cause
problems in maintaining patient confidentiality. 56 Fed. Reg. at 35553.
Q. In what medical situations should a health care provider obtain the
services of an interpreter?
A. An interpreter should be present in all situations in which the information
exchanged is sufficiently lengthy or complex to require an interpreter for effective
communication. Examples may include discussing a patient's medical history,
obtaining informed consent and permission for treatment, explaining diagnoses,
treatment, and prognoses of an illness, conducting psychotherapy, communicating
prior to and after major medical procedures, providing complex instructions
regarding medication, explaining medical costs and insurance, and explaining
patient care upon discharge from a medical facility.
Q. Is lipreading an effective form of communicating with deaf and
hard of hearing individuals?
A. Not often. Some deaf and hard of hearing individuals do rely on lipreading for
communication. For these individuals, an oral interpreter may be the best means of
ensuring effective communication in the medical setting. However, the ability of a
deaf or hard of hearing individual to speak clearly does not mean that he or she can
lipread effectively. Indeed, because lipreading requires some guesswork, very few
deaf people rely on lipreading alone for exchanges of important information. Forty
to 60 percent of English sounds look alike when spoken. On the average, even the
best lipreaders only understand 25 percent of what is said to them, and many
individuals understand far less. Lipreading may be
particularly difficult in the medical setting where complex medical terminology is
often used.
Q. Do written notes offer an effective means of communicating with
deaf and hard of hearing individuals?
A. This will depend on the reading level of the individual. The reading level of