FEATURES
22 The Linguist Vol/64 No/3
ciol.org.uk/thelinguist
Interpreters are taught how to detach from traumatic
assignments, but medical settings often require
compassion over objectivity, argues Sangi Gurung
E
mpathy is at the core of health services and, in the
last decade or so, it is increasingly being
recognised as an essential element to foster a
therapeutic relationship between doctor and patient.
Empathy humanises medical practices, promotes patient
trust, reduces misunderstandings and ensures accurate
communication in medical settings.
1
It involves taking a
patient-centred approach and understanding them
without forming an emotional bond.
In the UK, the Interpreters' Code of Ethics governs
how we must work. When it comes to medical settings,
'empathy' as a term is not clearly spelt out in the code. It
is, however, embedded in ethics relating to respect,
sensitivity, cultural appropriateness and patient advocacy.
Empathy is an overarching principle in medical settings;
this is also what starkly distinguishes interpreting in
medical settings from interpreting in legal settings.
Nevertheless, interpreters sometimes misunderstand and
unintentionally overlook empathy in the guise of
impartiality and professional detachment. On various
interpreters' platforms, the principles of professional
detachment and objectivity are a recurring theme.
In recent years, a number of academic research
studies have explored the dynamics of empathy in
medical interpreting.
2
They collectively emphasise the
pivotal role of fostering empathetic communication,
highlighting both verbal and non-verbal strategies that
bridge linguistic gaps between patients and healthcare
providers. They vouch for the need to incorporate
empathy in training to enable interpreters to deal with
the complexities of emotionally charged interpreter-
mediated interactions.
CENTRING EMPATHY
SHOWING CARE
Interpreters may be a
source of comfort
(above) through hours
of chemotherapy (top)
