🎉 HablaMed Dispatch- 3 Interpreter Mistakes You Might Be Making 🙊

Reader,

¡Buenos días a todos!

Working with medical interpreters is part of everyday clinical life—but that doesn’t mean we always get it right. This week’s tip is a quick gut check for anyone who’s ever relied on an interpreter to help bridge the language gap (hint: most of us!). These small changes can make a big difference.

🗣️ Entre Pacientes: Three Common Mistakes with Medical Interpreters

Here are three mistakes I see often:

Too much medical jargon.
Interpreters translate your words—not simplify them. If you use overly technical language, that’s exactly what the patient will hear. Stick to plain speech whenever possible.
Talking to the interpreter instead of the patient.
Even in translated encounters, your eye contact and tone should be directed at the patient. It’s a simple but powerful way to build trust and connection.
Speaking in long, complex sentences.
Break things up. Short, intentional sentences are easier to interpret and easier to understand. Slowing down gives everyone—especially the patient—a chance to catch up.

🧠 Vital Vocab: Interpreter & Communication Essentials

Here are a few words and phrases to help you connect more clearly—whether you’re speaking directly or through an interpreter:

Traducir – to translate
Entender – to understand
Claro/a – clear
Pregunta – question
Lenguaje médico – medical language
El intérprete médico – medical interpreter
Hable despacio, por favor. – Speak slowly, please.

🗂️ Pass it on!
Know a colleague who works with interpreters or multilingual patients? Share this vocab list—or better yet, send them the link to sign up for HablaMed Dispatch. It’s a quick weekly boost for clearer, more compassionate communication. 💬

✨ Have suggestions or vocab requests?

Have questions or specific scenarios or vocab you’d like to cover? Reply to this email or fill out this google form with recommendations—I’m here to help! There's lots of other resources on our community dashboards- check them out!

That’s it for today—short, clear, and (hopefully) useful. 🤠

Hasta la próxima,

-Tyler 🤠

Tyler@Habla-med.com

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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