Italian-English remote medical interpreting: Luca’s story
Language support at a delicate time
Luca was due to undergo surgery in the USA: he’d looked far and wide for a doctor he felt he could trust, and had finally found one. There was just one problem: the doctor was American and worked in the US; Luca doesn’t] speak English.
That’s where I come in: Luca got in touch to ask for language support at this delicate, private time in his life.
you can
trust me
Working together
First contact by email
Luca emailed me and outlined his situation. We set up a call to get to know each other; I needed to ask him about some of the specifics of the surgery, and some of the questions were quite private, so I needed to establish a direct and personal connection with him.
Getting to know each other
On the call I introduced myself to Luca and explained what my role would be. I wanted to be clear that I work impartially and without judgement, and guarantee his privacy at all times. Luca really appreciated how open I was, and felt able to open up too. He gave me a lot more detail than he had in his initial email.
Learning about the medical field
Then I started to study the medical field Luca’s surgery falls under. This part of the process – learning the specialist terminology doctors use – is crucial. As an interpreter I have to understand and reproduce complex topics, which is why I also study the actual techniques used in various medical procedures. It’s actually my favourite part of the job! It’s also the only way I can be sure I’ll know what will be discussed on the job, and feel prepared to interpret the questions and answers from my client and the doctor between English and Italian.
Services Luca chose
After learning about what questions Luca had, we made an appointment to contact the clinic his doctor works in. I had one ear connected to Luca over Zoom, and called the doctor using my phone with my other ear. When the call connected, I introduced myself and explained to the doctor that I was there to translate aloud between him and Luca, and let him know I’d need time to translate what was being said between one language and the other. I put across Luca’s questions in English, and translated the doctor’s replies and his own questions into Italian, and then Luca’s replies to those questions back into English. This allowed for quick and clear communication, and everyone involved was pleased with how the call went. There were more follow-up calls to explain the bureaucracy and explain the details of the surgery. We worked using the same setup each time.
Luca had to submit some documents and medical referrals which were in Italian and had to be translated into English so a date could be set for surgery. I worked with a native English-speaking colleague to translate these texts into the language the doctor needed. I also helped Luca to fill out some forms needed for his surgery in English, including some explaining the procedure he was due to undergo and the risks involved. This is one of the most important steps, allowing someone facing surgery to be aware of what they’re going to experience.
Around a week before the surgery was due to take place I took part in a remote consultation between Luca and his surgeon. This time round, I asked them both to wear headphones with a microphone to minimise background noise and so I could hear everything they said clearly. I provided consecutive/liaison interpreting between English and Italian, covering all the doctor’s questions and explanations and Luca’s answers and any final questions he had. By the end of the meeting the doctor had clear and precise overview of the issues he was to operate on and Luca was feeling relaxed, because every little detail of the procedure had been explained to him and all of his questions had been answered.
I didn’t travel with Luca for the surgery for financial reasons: if I’d been with him for the trip, he’d have had to pay not only my fee but for travel, accommodation and things like food in the US for almost a week. So he decided to go without language support and try his best to get by with the little English he knew.
After the operation and his flight back to Italy, Luca needed to get back in touch with the American doctor who’d done his surgery for a routine check and for a small issue that had come up during recovery. I stepped in again to interpret over the phone between Luca and his doctor so they could communicate without facing any language barriers.
Difficulties
Given that he was looking to undergo surgery with a foreign specialist, Luca had many things to worry about: the embarrassment of talking to a stranger about his health issues, the difficulties of not speaking the same language as the doctor, and worries about the surgery itself. These feelings are normal and valid, especially given the circumstances. That’s why I tried to reassure Luca that I had the skills for the job. As an interpreter, I act as a vehicle for clear and effective communication. I’m impartial, and never judge. Rather, I’m there to support my clients and meet their needs. The medical sector in particular touches on private and delicate issues, but I’m careful to guarantee as much privacy as possible. For me, having a relationship with my clients built on trust is crucial, especially for my medical clients. They have to feel at ease and like they can express themselves without reservations and without embarrassment: that’s the only way I can do my job to the best of my ability, and also ensure that the doctor has all of the information they need to take the right action.
That’s why I’ve not included any details about Luca’s health problems or what the surgery involved, and instead only gave the information I think can help you work out whether I’m the right person to support you in appointments with foreign doctors.
Results
Clear, effective communication between doctor and patient.
Agreeing a date for surgery.
Relieving the patient’s stress and worry about the operation.
Client/patient was fully informed of the medical procedure he was undergoing.
What the client has to say
I can’t thank you enough, you were such a help!
I don’t know how to thank you!
Let’s hope everything goes well!
Talk soon!
Thank you!
Get in touch now to book the English-Italian interpreting services you need.
Whether for a private consultation with a professional or for a work meeting, trust me to help you reach your goals by breaking the language barrier.
Other occasions you might need a telephone interpreter
- Emergency services: telephone interpreting can be used in emergencies, when two or more parties who don’t speak the same language need to communicate quickly, like in an emergency situation.
- Technical support: this kind of interpreting can also be useful for multilingual technical support if there are issues with a product or service.
- Consultation: telephone interpreting can be a great choice when you need private or corporate consultation with a professional, like if you have a virtual appointment with a bank or an accountant.
