Abstract
With an increasing population of persons with limited English proficiency (LEP), psychologists are likely to need to conduct assessments through a foreign language interpreter at times. The goal of the interpreter-mediated patient encounter should be to approximate a language-congruent clinical encounter. Issues such as the spatial configuration of all participants during the session, guidelines for the interpreter’s verbalizations, and some modification of the psychologist’s interview style will maintain patient rapport while obtaining necessary patient information.
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Prior to his current position, he was Clinical Associate Professor of Community and Family Medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine as well as Director of Behavioral Medicine at an affiliated Family Medicine Residency in St. Louis, Missouri. His professional interests include psychological practice in the primary healthcare setting, ethical dilemmas in medicine and public health, and cross-cultural issues in end-oflife care.
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Searight, H.R. Clinical and Ethical Issues in Working with a Foreign Language Interpreter. J Health Serv Psychol 43, 79–82 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03544654
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03544654