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Updates to Penn State Health Medical Interpretation and Translational Services Policy

The Penn State Health Medical Interpretation and Translational Services Policy (PSH-ADM-134) has been revised to clarify when services must be provided, emphasize the importance of securing interpreter services and outline requirements for chart documentation. The updates are effective immediately.

Email Misty Bowman for more information.

Here are some highlights of the policy:

All employees are responsible for securing interpreter services. The following are ways to identify if the chart documents that:

  • The patient has a preferred language other than English and/or
  • The patient, family member or caregiver requests a medical interpreter and/or
  • Faculty/staff requests a medical interpreter

Services must be provided in the patient’s preferred language during the delivery of significant healthcare discussions, including:

  • Consent
  • Communication before and after major medical procedures
  • Delivery of diagnoses or prognoses
  • Education, discharge or post-operative instructions
  • Mental Health Commitments

All interpreter services must be documented in the electronic medical record (EMR):

  • Interpreter services can be documented either in a progress note or in iView.
  • All interpreter services must be documented in the electronic medical record (EMR), including the qualified medical interpreters ID number and/or name.
  • Refusals must be documented in the EMR.
  • If a patient insists on using a family member or friend, staff must make a reasonable effort to include a qualified interpreter to ensure accurate communication.
  • The use of family members, especially minors, as interpreters is strongly discouraged.

Informed consent documents (e.g., surgical or anesthesia consents) that are not available in the preferred language must be orally interpreted and documented in the EMR.

If a translated version of a form is available and used alongside the English version, both versions must be signed by the patient and/or surrogate and both documents should be scanned into the electronic medical record (EMR).

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