Posted on: July 18, 2023
Do you provide phone consultations to patients, or speak with patients over the phone to schedule appointments and coordinate care? If you are speaking with a patient who has limited English proficiency, a professional interpreter should be included to support clear communication, ensuring quality care and patient safety.
Virtual Care Services, in partnership with Provincial Language Services (PLS), provides access to professional, medically trained interpreters in over 240 languages. Professional interpreters can easily be included in phone conversations with patients to ensure quality care planning. Interpreting services are available at no cost to your Island Health program.
Resources on how to add an interpreter to a patient phone conversation:
- Adding an Interpreter to a Phone Consult - Landline
- Adding an Interpreter to a Phone Consult - Mobile
For more information, please visit the Interpreting Services intranet page.