N.Y. Hospitals to Provide Translation
The Associated Press reports that the state of New York now requires all hospitals to provide translators to patients who do not speak English. The Language Assistance and Patient Rights (pdf, see page 11) was filed on August 28 and is effective as of yesterday, September 13, 2006. The law requires “interpreters and persons skilled in communicating with vision and/or hearing impaired individuals shall be available to patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting within 20 minutes and to patients in the emergency service within 10 minutes of a request to the hospital administration by the patient, the patient’s family or representative or the provider of medical care.”
Face to face interpretation is not necessarily required and the state will clarify which technologies are acceptable in future guidance to hospitals. No word as to whether Star Trek’s Klingon language is part of the program.
September 14, 2006 Related topics: Legal & legislative