Interpreter Services in a General Health Setting in Western Australia: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Migration patterns have rapidly changed in Australia which have contributed to an increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse society. This has brought new opportunities and challenges in the healthcare sector to address the different language needs of the culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) populations. A key strategy is the provision of interpreter services to bridge the language gap and assist patients and healthcare providers in clinical encounters.

This research project explored interpreter service usage at a Western Australian (WA) hospital, a general hospital located in Perth, providing hospital and community care to meet broader health needs of the population. In relation to the current COVID situation, the WA Language Service Policy has been updated to provide guidance to all public services to ensure that all information can be accessible to CaLD populations. The findings of this project aimed to inform current hospital practices, health policies and to support financial funding for hospital interpreter services.