Interprofessional education for the training of language mediators in health services

Activity: Academic Talks or PresentationsInvited talkResearch

Description

Description

Based on several years of educational practice, the proposed seminar discusses the contribution of interprofessional education to the training of language mediators working in health services. The seminar illustrates training practices in Italy which represent an interesting case study, because they are designed at the intersection between the professional knowledge of healthcare providers, linguistic interpreters, and social scientists.
In particular, the seminar discusses the interprofessional approach to training for linguistic and cultural mediators designed and provided by a consortium of Italian Universities and the Regional Health Services of Emilia-Romagna, to which the presenter has contributed for over 15 years.

Abstract
Interpreting can overcome linguistic and cultural barriers in the healthcare system, improving the accessibility and quality of care delivered to migrants. Interpreting can also promote more equity based on sensitivity to diversity and acceptance of it. Promoting equity through interpreting is underpinned by (1) addressing barriers that prevent or limit migrants’ access to healthcare services (2) enhancing equitable care and responsiveness to the diverse needs of patients, (3) enhancing migrants’ active participation in healthcare communication. Against this background, healthcare interpreting can be considered as language mediation, which is considered “intercultural mediation” as it produces conditions of intercultural communication by introducing knowledge previously unavailable to one of the participants, e.g. migrant patients’ cultural background to the provider, as well as aspects of the medical culture to the migrant patient.

Intercultural language mediation produces conditions of intercultural communication also by filling gaps in medical or personal knowledge between healthcare providers and migrant patients in the interaction. In this situation, the “intercultural” aspect of language mediation relates to narrowing the gap between migrants’ problems and needs, and the opportunities of health care accessible to them.

Language mediation entails additional responsibilities for the mediators who combine translation with other tasks such as establishing communication rules, controlling the flow of information, paraphrasing or explaining terms or concepts.

When mediation is linguistic AND cultural within a highly specialised social context such as healthcare, interprofessional education must underpin the training. The seminar illustrates the ethos and methods of training practices for language mediators in Italy, underpinned by the collaboration between the professional knowledge of healthcare providers, linguistic interpreters, and social scientists.
Period22 Nov 2024
Held atGlobal Confederation for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice, United States
Degree of RecognitionInternational