These are some results from some surveys that were taken by audience members of a Cross-Cultural Communications webinar I gave about ethical dilemmas in interpreting on Jan. 23, 2025.
I presented several different ethical dilemmas with varying possible responses during the webinar, and there were a healthy number of attendees, so it was really fun to see the results in real time. Each ethical dilemma had an "Other" option, so I thought I would publish the results so everyone would be able to see what got written in when attendees chose “Other.” All the write-in responses you’ll see are 100% raw data, so some of them are incomplete or don’t necessarily make sense.
This ethical dilemma is from the Terp practice dialogue Ankle Sprain
When told they need to go to a different provider because the issue appears to involve Workers Comp, a patient explodes into a litany of profanity accusing the provider of taking advantage of patients.
n
211
Interpret everything the patient said, profanity and all, accurately and completely.
174
Interpret the message without the profanity.
10
Let the provider know the patient is angry but do not interpret the exact words.
19
Other:
8
Please Read War and Peace with Patient
This ethical dilemma is from the Terp practice dialogue Type 2 Diabetes
Provider asks you to "go through" a lengthy booklet on diabetes management with the patient.
n
199
Agree to perform a sight translation of the document.
3
Explain to the provider that the document is too long to perform a sight translation but offer to interpret the provider going over some of its key points.
172
Explain to the provider that the document is too long to perform a sight translation.
17
Other:
7
You’re Very Pretty, Ms. Interpreter
This ethical dilemma is from the Terp practice dialogue Hearing Test
After the interpreter delivers a very professional pre-session, the patient responds to her with “Wow! If all interpreters were as pretty as you, I'd never miss an appointment.”
n
202
Ignore his comment and tell him you'll be waiting somewhere else in the waiting room for when it's his turn
140
Tell the patient his comment is inappropriate and then tell him the same thing as option 1
After a defendant stubbornly pleads guilty to domestic violence in a very nonsensical way, the public defender asks you if you think that he understands what is going on.
n
190
Explain to the Public Defender that the interpreter cannot give an opinion.
165
Respond to the Public Defender’s question, stepping out of the Interpreter’s role
At the end of a 504 plan meeting between administrators, a student, a parent, and some teachers, the school psychologist and administrative assistant start to have a side conversation and so do the student and his English teacher.
n
310
Ask the group members to speak one at a time.
166
Explain to the parent that the rest of the people are having a conversation unrelated to the meeting.
121
Other:
23
Ethical Dilemmas from various sources
Sarcastic Physician
A 13-year old patient's grandmother asks a physician if she should buy her grandson (who has to use a wheelchair; this is his only disability) an electric wheelchair. The physician sarcastically, casually, and dismissively replies that if she wants her grandson to have a horrible, unhealthy life, then yes, she should buy him an electric wheelchair.
n
279
Interpret the physician's sarcastic response as is.
227
Adapt the physician's sarcastic response and insert a brief explanation that the grandson powering his wheelchair with his arms is crucial to his cardiovascular health.
28
Other:
24
The Long and Winding Road
At a neurology consultation, a mother and her 12-year old son attempt to recreate a sequence of events related to the relatively recent onset of the son's partial facial paralysis. As they trace their steps through visits with a multitude of different providers and clinics, they contradict their timeline constantly, and the sequence of events becomes tangled and confusing.
n
265
Continue to interpret the confusion-inducing back-and-forth between the neurologist and the patients.
103
Intervene and suggest fetching a whiteboard or several sheets of paper in order to take a more active role in helping to diagram/organize the sequence of events.
141
Other:
21
Awkward Zoom Meeting
A video remote interpreter is left on a video interpreting device in the same room as a patient waiting for a provider to arrive. The interpreter can see and hear everything going on in the room.
n
253
Do a pre-session with the patient and then wait for the provider.
30
Do a pre-session with the patient and then tell them you will be turning your speakers off until the provider gets there (just wave at the camera when they get there).
179
Only speak to the patient if they speak to you, and wait for the provider.
30
Other:
14
Groundhog Day
In a consultation regarding a burn wound, the patient keeps bringing up the exact same concern over and over (over 10 to 15 times) even though the provider has directly addressed the concern each and every time. The provider is starting to get angry and even starts to think you are not interpreting their answers correctly.
n
252
Transparently intervene and tell the provider what you think will get the patient to understand.
178
Transparently intervene and politely tell the patient that they can't keep asking the provider the same thing over and over.
26
Other:
48
I am speak your language
A provider with limited proficiency in the patient's language is attempting to communicate directly with the patient in the target language.
n
254
Interpret the provider's semi-comprehensible utterances into the target language just to be safe.
34
Ask the provider to only speak in English to make sure there are no misunderstandings.
99
Monitor the patient's face for cues of understanding and intervene if you sense miscommunication.
110
Other:
11
Please Don’t Interpret This
In an encounter with a patient, their family member, and the provider, the family member and the provider sometimes have side conversations, which the family member tells you not to interpret since they don't have to do with the consultation.
n
258
Tell the family member you need to interpret everything and do so using chuchotage.
Terp