Case Study of Client Wishes: The Role of the Medical Interpreter - Paper Example

Mrs. Martinez hopes are that she wants the physician to do everything possible to help her survive the situation. Her wish is to be able to survive the ailment. The desire is evident when she exhibits distress after the physician discusses options that include the designation of a health care proxy. It may be that Mrs. Martinez views the health care proxy as a form of deputation who would not fully comprehend her case and may not provide sufficient attention. Also, she may feel that her physician has lost hope in her case.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Alternative Directions from her Daughter

The daughter is providing alternative courses for medical care. The daughter expresses a strong desire that her mother should not receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation or mechanical ventilation. The information that the daughter communicates is contradictory to what the mother had initially stated that she want every possible thing done to help her survive. The daughter may have responded the way she did since she felt that the cost and responsibilities of treating and caring for her mother were too high. She may prefer euthanasia to rid her family of the problems of caring for her mother.

Part 2

In Mrs. Martinez case, family disagreements manifest itself in Mrs. Martinez and her daughters choice of the most appropriate form of healthcare. Disagreement further reveals itself in the way the daughter resorts to lying to her mother about the effects of treatment. Mrs. Martinez autonomy in decision making is subject to limitation since her daughter may not accurately and honestly communicate her decision and their culture requires that her family makes all the decisions. The fact that Mr. Martinez needs an interpreter means that she may not have physician-client confidentiality privilege. Any decision that would be independently arrived at by Mrs. Martinez is also subject to her daughters scrutiny and opinion. Therefore a decision cannot be reached with discretion between the client and the doctor.

The three issues bring about complications in that the patient's actual desires in healthcare may not be communicated since the daughter translates it falsely. On the other hand, since decisions are majorly made by the patient's family the patient. Also, the whole process has limited confidentiality since every decision has to have a third party involved as a translator.

Exercise 3

The role of the medical interpreter is to accurately and honestly convey information from the client to the physician and from the doctor to the patient. The medical interpreter acts like the solution to the communication barrier. Also, the medical interpreter serves as an alternative intermediary from which genuine and authentic desires and opinions of the patients need for treatment is obtained since it was not as clear earlier on whether the suggested provided by the daughter were of her interests or her mothers.

The role of the medical interpreter in Mrs. Martinez case and that of a sign language interpreter are similar. They are both meant to break language barriers between the client and a doctor. However, they differ in the ways mode of communication. Sign language uses gestures and hand expressions while the other use word of mouth. While working as an interpreter or with a translator, it is important that one exercise confidentiality and honesty during translation and provision of recommendations.