The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2024 - 26

INTERPRETERS FORUM by María Baker
and self-reliant. Well, while
we cannot offer our patients
this perfect world, there are
some things we can do to
foster patient autonomy and
get closer to this ideal.
The National Council on
Interpreting in Health Care
Code of Ethics mentions
the word " autonomy "
four times.1
Regarding
confidentiality, this code of
ethics states:
" There is a fine line,
however, between
respecting the autonomy
of the patient and ensuring
that the provider has the
necessary information to
treat the patient without
harming them. Interpreters
have an ethical obligation
to deal with this fine line
and make a conscious
choice that supports the
well-being of the patient. " 2
Five Ways to Encourage
Patient Self-Reliance and
Autonomy for Health
Care Interpreters
(Interpreters are a vital part of ATA. This column is designed to
offer insights and perspectives from professional interpreters. The
following originally appeared in the Spring 2022 issue of Cadeus,
the newsletter of ATA's Medical Division.)
S
ince interpreters
started to be a part of
the U.S. health care
system in the early 1990s,
our role has grown and
diversified in many ways.
Health care interpreters have
become an instrumental part
of the team, as acknowledged
by other health care
professionals.
26 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2024
In a perfect world,
however, we would not need
health care interpreters.
The patients we work with
would not need our help.
They would be able to receive
appropriate information and
health care services, and
even advocate for their needs
without us. In other words,
they would be autonomous
This document also states
that impartiality " means
that interpreters respect the
autonomy of each party in the
encounter and their right to
speak for themselves in the
manner they wish to. " 3
The California Healthcare
Interpreting Association's
(CHIA) California Standards
for Healthcare Interpreters
mention the word
" autonomy " six times 4
,
mostly in relation to balancing
advocacy and patient
autonomy. This document
defines autonomy as:
" A central principle in
bioethics: patients who
are competent to make
decisions should have
a right to do so, and
physicians should have
the concomitant duty to
respect patient preferences
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The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2024

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