ma_ta Posted April 4, 2009 Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 Hi, I was just hoping someone could provide some insight on how to deal with a patient (an actor in the case of MMI) that does not understand English. Exactly how should you approach the patient and address their concerns? Any suggestions would be great! Also, if this was an MMI scenario would you be provided with a pencil and paper? thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyluck08 Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 How about non verbal communication? or may be asking for help from a family member or staff for interpretation.........In USA few hospitals do have language lines who provide interpreters for translation......... I dont think they will give you scenarios with actors to work on this prob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 just do what any ignorant English-speaking person would do and speak SLOWLY AND LOUDLY! Because then they're definitely going to understand you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barcelona Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 stop being funny newfie mike lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 just do what any ignorant English-speaking person would do and speak SLOWLY AND LOUDLY! Because then they're definitely going to understand you! I tried that the last time I was in St. Johns. Didn't work. (I kid! 1/4 newf myself) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 I tried that the last time I was in St. Johns. Didn't work. (I kid! 1/4 newf myself) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atreides Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Hi, I was just hoping someone could provide some insight on how to deal with a patient (an actor in the case of MMI) that does not understand English. Exactly how should you approach the patient and address their concerns? Any suggestions would be great! Also, if this was an MMI scenario would you be provided with a pencil and paper? thanks in advance In real life you would attempt to contact an interpreter (cultural interpretor if possible), then see if employees in the hospital speak the language well enough to translate, and lastly use a friend or family member of the patient who can translate as trained interpretors are better as they are more likely to strictly interpret and convey all of the information provided by the physician and allow the patient to respond by themselves, whereas family or friends may answer for the patient or summarize rather than interpret. If none of these options are available you might be able to locate some sort of online or software translator to attempt to translate and if even that is not available (which would occur rarely) then use non-verbal communication (i.e. point at foot when want to say foot, etc.) but you would lose all opportunity to get a history, etc. which is extremely important to get a good idea of the clinical picture. If it is an emergent situation then stabilize the patient prior to initiating these measures. In an MMI I would ask if a translator is available, if not then I suppose non-verbal communication? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atreides Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 I believe there are usually people that can be brought in to translate but if you are in a remote location they may have translators who can translate over the phone. We mostly learned for Ottawa which has services in place, but rural or remote locations may find this harder, contacting the closest urban centre might help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skvangs Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 i don't know if any y'all listened to the radio show/podcast "White Coat Black Art", but the host in one epsiode, interviews a Mac MMI person (don't remember exactly what he does, I think he runs the MMI program) anyways, the host asks for examples of the types of questions that are routinely asked, and this gentleman (after much prodding on the part of the host) gives a certain example where, the interviewee has to pretend they are a backpacker in Romania, currently staying at a hostel, where the manager speaks not a single word of English, and no one there speaks any English whatsover. One day, after a long expedition in this small city, you come back to find that your passport has been stolen. You are obviously quite worried and you need to get to the Canadian embassy. You must try to get the directions from the hostel manager. How will you do so? Any ideas guys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatonekid Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 I would draw a picture of a basic map, inculding the building where we are currently located. Then draw a building on it with a canadian flag and a question mark. I guess that would be a good starting point, since maps are a generally universal concept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolvenstar Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 I would draw a picture of a basic map, inculding the building where we are currently located. Then draw a building on it with a canadian flag and a question mark. I guess that would be a good starting point, since maps are a generally universal concept. Remember that the word embassy is relatively easy word (in many european states) to recognize, especially for people living in a tourist town. I have a friend from poland who I asked about this and he said that if your in the city where your embassy is, if you ask someone they will be able to understand you well enough to try to give you directions you can understand. Common sense would indicate that if you show them a picture of a building with the canadian flag and embassy underneath they will be able to "draw" you directions. Another thing would be to go to the local law enforcement agency (police stations/officers should not be hard to find), as they will most likely either have an interpretor or will be able to recognize you as a frantic tourist and be better able to guess what you are looking for than a hotel owner. As for the original question, getting an interpretor would be the best way. Although if you are really pressed, you could have them type into an online translation program and the very basic and rough interpretation you get should be able to give you the basic information you need to treat them. If you are a family practioner I would suggest looking to see if there are any doctors in the town who are of the same ethnicity as them, as there will be an increased chance they will speak the language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satsuma Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 i don't know if any y'all listened to the radio show/podcast "White Coat Black Art", but the host in one epsiode, interviews a Mac MMI person (don't remember exactly what he does, I think he runs the MMI program) anyways, the host asks for examples of the types of questions that are routinely asked, and this gentleman (after much prodding on the part of the host) gives a certain example where, the interviewee has to pretend they are a backpacker in Romania, currently staying at a hostel, where the manager speaks not a single word of English, and no one there speaks any English whatsover. One day, after a long expedition in this small city, you come back to find that your passport has been stolen. You are obviously quite worried and you need to get to the Canadian embassy. You must try to get the directions from the hostel manager. How will you do so? Any ideas guys? You know, I am guessing that a question like this is just looking at your communication skills and how you manage in an uncomfortable/awkward situation. My feeling is that in a question like this you will just reflexively react without really thinking much and I don't even think you can prepare a whole lot for these kinds of things...you just react like how you react. I was stuck trying to get directions in a place where I did not speak the language (and where street signs are optional and maps are only sort of accurate). I eventually just walked out into a busy square and yelled at the top of my lungs "does ANYONE speak English??"!! I got a few ... are you crazy looks, but 1 young man stepped up and said he spoke English, and I was SO happy. In a hospital setting it isn't SO hard to deal with a patient who speaks a different language. If there is nobody around that can translate, there are telephone translation services (and alot of hospitals have phones that have a handset for the pt and a handset for the doc). I once had to use this service, for a gentleman who only spoke Portugese. He was found on the ground by a neighbour, who didn't see what happened. The only thing the translator could get out of him was...I'm drunk!! (which we already knew!). It was funny and frustrating all at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meme me Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 As for the original question, getting an interpretor would be the best way. Although if you are really pressed, you could have them type into an online translation program and the very basic and rough interpretation you get should be able to give you the basic information you need to treat them. If you are a family practioner I would suggest looking to see if there are any doctors in the town who are of the same ethnicity as them, as there will be an increased chance they will speak the language. This would only work if the language is able to be typed using an 'english' keyboard... you'd be out of luck it were something like Russian, or a middle eastern language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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