Transcript Ethics and Boundaries

Ethics and Boundaries
Interpreter/Translation Training
August 20, 2015
SF Public Library
José Martín, LMFT, CHT
Consultant/Lecturer/Professor
National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters,
Testing Committee Member
What is Ethics?
• Study of right and wrong
conduct
• Focus on moral situations
• Originated from religious
guidelines
• It is not laws
• It is not mores
Origin of personal ethical system
• Parents
• Church
• School
• Society
• Media
Why do we need ethics?
• To control Id impulses
• To provide guidelines for
living
• To address injustice
• To help society regulate
itself
Primary Tenet of Ethics
•DO NO HARM
Elements of Ethics
• Rational
• Based on facts, ideals,
obligations, and consequences
• Moral imperative
Three Criteria for Ethical Analysis
• Obligations
• Ideals
• Consequences
Ethical Analysis
• Study the Details of the case
• Identify the Relevant criteria
• Determine Possible courses
of action
• Decide which action is the
Most Ethical course to take
Considering Moral Ideals
• Prudence
• Justice
• Temperance
• Courage
Considering Consequences
• Dealing with probability
• Making the analysis thorough
• When harm is unavoidable
• The greater good
Errors to Avoid
• Double standard
• Unwarranted assumptions
• Oversimplifications
• Hasty conclusions
Ideals in Professional Ethics Codes
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Truthfulness
Honesty
Integrity
Social Responsibility
Fairness
Prudence
Justice
Temperance
Ethical Principles For Healthcare
Interpreters
• Ethical Principle 1Confidentiality
• Ethical Principle 2Impartiality
• Ethical Principle 3-Respect
for Individuals and Their
Communities
Ethical Principles For Healthcare
Interpreters
• Ethical Principle 4-Professionalism
and Integrity
• Ethical Principle 5-Accuracy and
Completeness
• Ethical Principle 6-Cultural
Responsiveness
• Ethical Decision Making for
Healthcare Interpreters
IMIA Guide on Medical Interpreter Ethical Conduct
1. Confidentiality
Do not disclose assignment-related information unless
with the expressed permission of all parties or if required
by law.
2. Accuracy
Select the language and mode of interpretation that best
conveys the content and spirit of client messages. Use
skillful unobtrusive interventions to avoid interfering with
the flow of communication.
3. Professionalism
Refrain from accepting assignments beyond professional
skills, language fluency or level of training. Do not engage
in interpretations relating to issues outside of health care
services unless qualified to do so. Refrain from using
position to gain favors from clients.
IMIA Guide on Medical Interpreter Ethical Conduct
4. Impartiality
Refrain from assignments involving close family or
personal relationships. Do not interject personal opinions
or counsel patients.
5. Use Advocacy and Cultural Interface Roles Appropriately
Engage in client advocacy and cultural interface roles only
when appropriate and necessary for communication
purposes.
6. Professional Development
Keep abreast of evolving languages and medical
terminology. Participate in continuing education
programs. Maintain ties with relevant professional
organizations.
Confidentiality
Tenets covered :
• Do not disclose assignment-related information unless
with the expressed permission of all parties or if
required by law.
• In health care settings, preserving the anonymity and
privacy of patient information is crucial. Ensuring
confidentiality responds to patients’ core need for
privacy, prevents discrimination and ethical dilemmas,
and is mandated by federal laws.
• The interpreter treats as confidential, within the
treating team, all information learned in the
performance of their professional duties, while
observing relevant requirements regarding disclosure.
Accuracy
Tenets covered:
• Interpreters will select the language and mode of
interpretation that most accurately conveys the
content and spirit of the messages of their
clients.
• Interpreters will use skillful unobtrusive
interventions so as not to interfere with the flow
of communication in a triadic medical setting.
• The interpreter strives to render the message
accurately, conveying the content and spirit
• of the original message, taking into consideration
its cultural context.
Professionalism
Tenets covered:
• Interpreters will refrain from accepting
assignments beyond their professional skills,
language fluency, or level of training.
• Interpreters will not engage in interpretations
that relate to issues outside the provision of
health care services unless qualified to do so.
• Interpreters will refrain from using their position
to gain favors from clients.
Impartiality
Tenets covered:
• Interpreters will refrain from accepting an
assignment when family or close personal
relationships affect impartiality.
• Interpreters will not interject personal
opinions or counsel patients.
• The interpreter strives to maintain
impartiality and refrains from counseling,
advising or projecting personal biases or
beliefs.
RESPECT
Tenets covered:
• The interpreter uses professional, culturally
appropriate ways of showing respect. For
example, in greetings, an interpreter uses
appropriate titles for both patient and provider.
• The interpreter promotes direct communication
among all parties in the encounter. For example,
an interpreter may tell the patient and provider to
address each other, rather than the interpreter.
• The interpreter promotes patient autonomy. For
example, an interpreter directs a patient who asks
him or her for a ride home to appropriate
resources within the institution.
Use Advocacy and Cultural
Interface Roles Appropriately
Tenets covered:
• Interpreters will engage in patient advocacy
and in cultural interface role of exploring
cultural differences/practices to clients when
appropriate and necessary for
communication purposes, using professional
judgment.
• The interpreter maintains the boundaries of
the professional role, refraining from
personal involvement.
Professional Development
Tenets covered:
• Interpreters will keep abreast of their evolving
languages and medical terminology.
• Interpreters will participate in continuing education
programs as available.
• Interpreters will seek to maintain ties with relevant
professional organizations in order to be up-to-date
with the latest professional standards and
protocols.
• The interpreter continually strives to develop
awareness of her/his own and other (including
biomedical) cultures encountered in the
performance of their professional duties.
ROLE BOUNDARIES
Tenets covered:
• The interpreter limits personal involvement with all parties
during the interpreting assignment. For example, an
interpreter does not share or elicit overly personal
information in conversations with a patient.
• The interpreter limits his or her professional activity to
interpreting within an encounter. For example, an interpreter
never advises a patient on health care questions, but redirects
the patient to ask the provider.
• The interpreter with an additional role adheres to all
interpreting standards of practice while interpreting.
For example, an interpreter who is also a nurse does not
confer with another provider in the patient's presence, without
reporting what is said.
ADVOCACY
Tenets covered:
. The interpreter may speak out to protect an
individual from serious harm. For example,
an interpreter may intervene on behalf of a
patient with a life-threatening allergy, if the
condition has been overlooked.
. The interpreter may advocate on behalf of a
party or group to correct mistreatment or
abuse. For example, an interpreter may alert
his or her supervisor to patterns of disrespect
towards patients.