Ad-Hoc Med Translators: Take Caution.

According to the latest US Census Bureau report analyzing the use of languages in the United States, over 20% of Americans speak a language other than English at home. Of this population, greater than 24% report that they do not speak English well or do not speak English at all. With a US population of more than 300 million, this makes over 70 million people with limited English proficiency. In this session, we will review best practices for using medical translation with our patients and why using family members as “ad hoc translators“ can land us in hot water (aqua caliente!)