UK Researchers: Remote Interpreting Affects Quality of Communication
News Medical, a medical and science news outlet based in the United Kingdom and Australia, reported on November 4 on research conducted by the University of Surrey concerning remote interpreting. The study led by Dr. Wei Zhang, Dr. Elena Davitti, and Professor Sabine Braun indicated that remote interpreting may affect the quality of communication between healthcare providers and patients.
Remote interpreting was widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the research team said that interpreters reported mixed experiences that raise serious questions about the effectiveness of remote communication platforms in critical medical settings.
Key findings indicated that video interpreting and telephone interpreting as remote medical interpreting (RMI) modalities have challenges, such as lack of visual cues with telephone interpreting and lower efficiency of such cues in video interpreting, compared to in-person interpreting.
The survey revealed that interpreters often faced technical challenges, including poor sound quality and logistical challenges, News Medical reported. "Interpreters described telephone interpreting as especially challenging in complex medical situations involving multiple speakers and/or a high density of nonverbal or emotional communication, such as delivering bad news to patients."
"Our findings suggest that while remote interpreting offers accessibility, it may sometimes compromise the quality of communication," Dr. Wei Zhang said in a statement.
