Remote Healthcare Interpreting: a methodology to investigate quality

Abstract

In consonance with our digital era, healthcare interpreting services are increasingly
embracing technology. Research on remote public service interpreting indicates that the use of technology adds up to the already complex character of interpreter-mediated communication. Yet, in healthcare settings, little is known about the exact impact of the remote conditions on communication quality. The present explorative study provides a methodological framework to compare two types of remote interpreting (telephone interpreting and video interpreting) with face-to-to face interpreting. Its preliminary findings suggest that there were few differences at the level of message equivalence across the three conditions. However, changes in the interactional dynamics, partly resulting from the remote conditions, did impact on the effectiveness of the communication.