Medical Interpreting Services for Refugees in Canada: Current State of Practice and Considerations in Promoting this Essential Human Right for All

Akshaya Neil Arya (), Ilene Hyman, Tim Holland, Carolyn Beukeboom, Catherine E. Tong, Rachel Talavlikar and Grace Eagan
Additional contact information
Akshaya Neil Arya: Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 3L8, Canada
Ilene Hyman: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
Tim Holland: Department of Bioethics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Carolyn Beukeboom: Kitchener-Waterloo Centre for Family Medicine Refugee Health Clinic, Kitchener, ON N2G 1C5, Canada
Catherine E. Tong: School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Rachel Talavlikar: Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T3H 0N9, Canada
Grace Eagan: Language Services & Digital Strategy, Access Alliance Multicultural Health & Community Services, Toronto, ON M5T 3A9, Canada

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 5, 1-25

Abstract: Language barriers, specifically among refugees, pose significant challenges to delivering quality healthcare in Canada. While the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the emergence and development of innovative alternatives such as telephone-based and video-conferencing medical interpreting services and AI tools, access remains uneven across Canada. This comprehensive analysis highlights the absence of a cohesive national strategy, reflected in diverse funding models employed across provinces and territories, with gaps and disparities in access to medical interpreting services. Advocating for medical interpreting, both as a moral imperative and a prudent investment, this article draws from human rights principles and ethical considerations, justified in national and international guidelines, charters, codes and regulations. Substantiated by a cost-benefit analysis, it emphasizes that medical interpreting enhances healthcare quality and preserves patient autonomy. Additionally, this article illuminates decision-making processes for utilizing interpreting services; recognizing the pivotal roles of clinicians, interpreters, patients and caregivers within the care circle; appreciating intersectional considerations such as gender, culture and age, underscoring the importance of a collaborative approach. Finally, it provides recommendations at provider, organizational and system levels to ensure equitable access to this right and to promote the health and well-being of refugees and other individuals facing language barriers within Canada’s healthcare system.

Keywords: refugees; newcomers; medical interpretation/interpreting; language barriers; medical ethics; healthcare standards; human rights for all; Canada (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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