A study led by Dr. Wei Zhang at Surrey University examined the mixed experiences of interpreters using remote communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. While technologies like video and telephone interpreting were widely adopted, they raised concerns about communication quality in critical healthcare settings, affecting both interpreters’ performance and patient outcomes. Click here for article.
Shared Challenges: Video and telephone interpreting face similar issues, including lack of visual cues and inefficiencies, impacting communication quality.
Interpreting Effectiveness: Both methods were seen as detrimental to effective communication, but video interpreting was rated slightly more effective than telephone interpreting.
Technical and Logistical Issues: Interpreters reported poor sound quality and visual cues, as well as logistical challenges, which hindered their ability to convey nonverbal and emotional messages, especially in complex medical situations.
Need for Careful Method Selection: The shift to remote interpreting necessitates thoughtful selection of methods based on the complexity of the medical interaction, as some contexts are better suited to in-person interpreting for emotional engagement.
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