Typology of Healthcare Interpreter Positionings as applied to family medicine

Abstract

Interpreters facilitate cross-cultural communication, particularly in health care systems where treatment is provided to patients who do not speak the institution language. The effectiveness of the process depends, among other things, on the ability of the interpreter and the clinician to collaborate, which the Typology of Healthcare Interpreter Positionings is intended to facilitate. Objectives: The primary purpose of this study was to assess the potential applicability of the Typology, previously tested in mental health settings, to a family medicine setting. The secondary objective was to verify the complementarity of the concept of interpreter stance. Method: A deductive thematic analysis and co-occurrence analyses were conducted following focus groups with 89 experienced and trainee family physicians. Results: The potential of the Typology for family physicians was confirmed. Although the concept of stance was found to be complementary, it could not be integrated directly into the Typology. Conclusions: The Typology is applicable in both family medicine and mental health settings. The Typology provides conceptual guidance that the clinician and interpreter can use with confidence to deepen their collaboration.