CEU’S APRROVED: IMIA, CCHI , AOC
Pre-registration available by mail (not required)
If not pre-registered, please arrive 45 minutes ahead of time $45 members, $60 nonmembers
Please see registration sheet
Limited seating confirm your attendance now:
Complicated Encounters and Fatigue: Research on Measuring Interpreter Mental Fatigue (90 minutes)
Healthcare interpreters’ work can be mentally taxing. However, we are often uncertain as to what contributes to our mental fatigue, outside of the obvious issue of lengthy assignments and long workdays. Unfortunately, interpreter fatigue is not well-documented. This presentation provides information on various factors that can affect both concentration and performance contributing to mental fatigue. It also sheds light on precedents in other industries that make the case for use of a measurement tool to address mental fatigue in a more sophisticated way. Gaps in understanding interpreter mental fatigue and a lack of literature on the subject led the presenter and her co-investigators to develop and internally validate the Complexity and Fatigue in Interpreted Encounters (CFIE) tool. It is commonly believed that interpreters experiencing mental fatigue may jeopardize accuracy of interpretation in these encounters, resulting in unfavorable patient outcomes. The presenter will facilitate a discussion on mental fatigue in our work and potential interventions interpreters and managers can consider reducing mental fatigue. She will also share plans for future research on interpreter errors related to mental fatigue.
Advanced Interpreter Strategies for Improving Clinical Outcomes for Patients and Enhancing Our Perceived Value as Interpreters (90 minutes)
This workshop explores practices in our field that inhibit sophisticated decision-making on the interpreter’s part. The presenter encourages interpreters to look at gaps in current practice, dogmatic thinking, and the “that’s not ethical argument”. The presenter will encourage discussion and debate around black-box interpreting (technical interpreting) and practitioner-style interpreting (Robyn Dean & Robert Pollard). The trainer will share strategies to enhance comprehension, trust, and the clinical outcome, such as educational scripting, teachback, visual aids, addressing sophisticated language and jargon barriers, and “visibility”—all of which fit within our ethical parameters and are well-aligned with clinical goals. These techniques enhance patient outcomes and have the potential to increase the value others associate with our work. It is this prospect of becoming more “visible”, more integrated into the medical team’s goal for the patient, and more relatable that could be a key factor in how vital our work is perceived to be in years to come.
Presenter
MS. ANDREA HENRY, BA, CMI-Spanish
Andrea Henry has been active in healthcare interpreting for 23 years, beginning her career in 1994 as a freelance interpreter for Pacific Interpreters and later as a full-time remote interpreter at their headquarters in Oregon. Andrea earned her B.A. from the University of Oregon in Spanish and International Studies with a minor in Ethnic Studies. After relocating to Atlanta, she worked for six years in development and management of interpreter services departments for two hospital systems. She has received over 120 hours of interpretation education and has attended 30+ conferences regionally, nationally, and internationally. Andrea regularly presents on advanced interpreter practice and mental fatigue research. One of the most satisfying aspects of Andrea’s career has been working as a staff interpreter at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta while carrying out research on interpreter mental fatigue.