This model has worked with much success, but as human migration increases and health service budgets are placed under increasing pressure, interpreters are not always available to assist in a timely manner. The traditional approach to ensuring patient safety and appropriate communication in clinical settings has been to use professional interpreters. For example, dysphagia is common after stroke, and early identification is important because of potential aspiration risk and to determine patients’ suitability for oral feeding. Delays in assessments can place patients at risk of dehydration, choking, falls, wound infection, and poor quality of life. The requirement for accurate interpreting is never more crucial than in the medical domain. In acute hospital settings, assessment delays for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients are common, as clinicians require interpreter services and for a variety of reasons services may not be immediately available. Similarly, it is crucial that clinicians can communicate effectively and accurately with patients to inform them of risks and to provide education. It is critical that information being communicated by a patient to a clinician is accurate and complete.

Clinicians must obtain and communicate accurate information to patients to complete assessments and provide care. Good communication in clinical settings is the key to avoiding medical mishaps.

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