WRHA Health Interpreter Guidelines 1 for Message Relay, Reminder Call and Conference Call

Transcription

1 WRHA Health Interpreter Training Prgram WRHA Health Interpreter Guidelines 1 fr Message Relay, Reminder Call and Cnference Call Develped by Dnna Jyette, Jyette Cnsulting Services, adapted fr WRHA Revised June 2011 Framewrk Dcument: WRHA Health Interpreter Guidelines fr Message Relay and Cnference Call

2 WRHA Health Interpreter Training Prgram Message Relay Message Relay invlves calling an individual t relay infrmatin that has been prvided by a third party, such as the details f an appintment (name f healthcare prvider; appintment date, time, lcatin; special instructins). Message Relay is perfrmed fr each interpreter assignment (unless therwise indicated r nt applicable) When t perfrm Message Relay: As sn pssible within the 48 hurs fllwing the acceptance f an assignment Try t perfrm message relay a maximum f three (3) times within these 48 hurs at different times f the day if necessary Avid calling late at night If three (3) attempts at perfrming Message Relay are unsuccessful, the interpreter shuld infrm her/his supervisr as sn as pssible. Language Access will then fllw up with the requester. Any calls that may require in-depth cnversatin r clarificatin, r result in discussin and/r questins, require a Cnference Call (see Cnference Call), and therefre are nt apprpriate fr Message Relay. Recmmended Message Relay Prcedure: The interpreter cllects the fllwing infrmatin frm Language Access Interpreter Services: Name f the patient 2 Name f the healthcare prvider and the facility/site, prgram/department/service/agency Cntact number(s) fr the patient (r parents/guardians, etc.) Particulars f the message (appintment date, time, lcatin, and/r ther infrmatin) Special instructins t be fllwed when cmpleting the message relay When cllecting the infrmatin the interpreter must: Have paper and a pen available t write dwn the message Repeat the message t ensure accuracy Clarify anything nt understd 2 The term patient is used generically t include clients, parents, guardians, and decisin-makers. 2

3 WRHA Health Interpreter Training Prgram Hw t Perfrm Message Relay: Use a land-line phne whenever pssible and blck the display f yur name and phne number befre dialing the patient s phne number: If yu have Call Waiting, press *70 t temprarily blck incming calls. Press *67 t blck the display f yur name and phne number, wait fr the beep(s), then dial the number. Call Display Blcking is autmatically available t all residential phne lines, free f charge. Ask fr the patient by name and/r fllw the instructins given by the healthcare prvider. Never leave a message with anyne else unless the healthcare prvider has given that individual s name as an alternate cntact (parent/guardian, relative, etc.). Ensure that yu have cntacted the crrect persn. When yu are cnfident that the patient, r the persn yu were instructed t cntact, is n the phne: Identify yurself by first name nly. State that yu have a message t relay and are calling n behalf f (give prvider s name and lcatin). Ask if the patient has paper and a pen t recrd the message Relay the message in full Have the patient repeat the message back t yu t ensure accuracy Make sure yu have given the cmplete message Refrain frm engaging in a cnversatin with the patient except t clarify what has been said. If the patient tells yu that he/she is unavailable fr the scheduled appintment: Advise patient that he/she must cntact the healthcare prvider t request a new appintment. Indicate that yu will advise yur supervisr (Language Access Interpreter Services) and that yur supervisr will cntact the healthcare prvider fr further instructins. If the patient has any ther cncerns r questins: Indicate that yu are nly authrized t prvide appintment details (r instructins as given) and that the healthcare prvider shuld be cntacted fr further infrmatin (recgnizing that the patient will need language assistance t d s), then plitely end the call. Advise yur supervisr if the patient seems t have difficulty understanding the message (even if yu think yu knw the answer, d nt prvide infrmatin nt included in the riginal message). Never leave yur phne number r any ther cntact infrmatin with anyne when ding a message relay. The nly party wh shuld have access t phne numbers, etc., is Language Access Interpreter Services (if yu are asked fr yur address r phne number, give the name and phne number f yur supervisr). Plitely terminate the call if there are any dubts r suspicins abut the identity f the persn t whm the message was given, and infrm yur supervisr. 3

4 WRHA Health Interpreter Training Prgram SAMPLE MESSAGE RELAY SCRIPT (nce patient r authrized alternate is n the line): Hell. My name is (interpreter s first name). I am an English/Farsi interpreter with the Winnipeg Reginal Health Authrity and am calling n behalf f (healthcare prvider name/title, name f facility/site and prgram/department/service/agency) t cnfirm an appintment. D yu have a pen and paper? Yu have an appintment n (date, time) at (lcatin) with (name f healthcare prvider, department, etc.). Please read back t me the infrmatin that yu have written. The infrmatin is crrect. Thank yu and have a nice day. Remember t Cntact yur supervisr if Message Relay was unsuccessful r if there is a cncern: Inability t relay the message Patient nt available Wrng number Wrng cntact infrmatin Wrng language Message relay cncerns Patient did nt seem t understand the message Patient unavailable fr scheduled appintment Other If Message Relay is being used fr Appintment Scheduling, fllw these steps: Cllect the details f the appintment Date, time, lcatin (plus tw alternate dates and times) Patient name, phne number(s), (r alternate names as applicable) Requester name and phne number Call the patient by fllwing the Message Relay steps listed n page 3. Give the first date and time and ask if the patient is available. If yes, cnfirm the rest f the appintment infrmatin with the patient. If nt, prvide the secnd/third date and time as applicable. Cnfirm the date and time with the patient, then end the call. Call yur supervisr t infrm her/him f the cnfirmed date and time fr the appintment. Language Access will infrm the requester f the cnfirmed date and time, send the appintment t the interpreter s calendar and fax Interpreter Services Ntificatin frm t bth the requester and the interpreter. 4

5 WRHA Health Interpreter Training Prgram Reminder Call Reminder Call invlves calling the patient a day r tw befre a scheduled appintment t remind him/her f the details f an appintment (name f healthcare prvider; date, time, lcatin; special instructins). A Reminder Call is perfrmed fr each interpreter assignment (unless therwise indicated r nt applicable). When t perfrm Reminder Call: Call the patient 1-2 days prir t the scheduled appintment Try t call a maximum f three (3) times at different times f the day if necessary Avid calling late at night If three (3) attempts at perfrming Reminder Call are unsuccessful, the interpreter shuld infrm her/his supervisr as sn as pssible. Language Access will then fllw up with the requester. Recmmended Reminder Call Prcedure: Call the patient by fllwing the Message Relay steps listed n page 3. Infrm the patient that yu are calling n behalf f the healthcare prvider t remind him/her f an upcming appintment. Cntact yur supervisr if the Reminder Call was unsuccessful r if there is a cncern. 5

6 WRHA Health Interpreter Training Prgram Cnference Call Cnference Call invlves interpreting a telephne cnversatin between tw r mre peple wh d nt speak a cmmn language. Cnference Calls can be used t schedule appintments, t fllw up r check in with patients, r t prvide instructins prir t an appintment, etc. Healthcare prviders shuld place Cnference Calls whenever pssible, rather than requesting message relay. Recmmended Cnference Call Prcedure: On the day f the scheduled Cnference Call, phne the healthcare prvider a few minutes befre the scheduled time using a land-line phne whenever pssible and blcking yur name and phne number befre dialing the number: If yu have Call Waiting, press *70 t temprarily blck incming calls. Press *67 t blck the display f yur name and phne number, wait fr the beep(s), dial the healthcare prvider s number. (Call Display Blcking is autmatically available t all residential phne lines, free f charge.) Fully intrduce yurself t the prvider and indicate that yu will intrduce yurself t the patient nce he/she is n the line. The healthcare prvider shuld brief the interpreter prir t hking up t the patient as t the prtcl fr initiatin f cntact, i.e. name f patient, what t d if the patient is nt the persn wh answers the phne, whether the healthcare prvider r the interpreter begins the cnversatin r cnducts the salutatins. The healthcare prvider will cmplete the three-way hk up by cntacting the patient. Ask fr the patient by name as instructed by the healthcare prvider and ensure that the crrect persn is n the line. Cmplete yur intrductin t the patient and when finished indicate t the healthcare prvider the cnversatin can begin. Interpret the cnversatin between the healthcare prvider and the patient. Terminate the call nce advised t d s by the healthcare prvider. Recrd the duratin f the Cnference Call assignment. Cntact yur supervisr if there are any cncerns. 6

7 WRHA Health Interpreter Training Prgram IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN PERFORMING MESSAGE RELAY, REMINDER CALL OR CONFERENCE CALL Always blck the display f yur name/phne number prir t making interpreter calls. Fllw the instructins prvided by Language Access and the healthcare prvider. Safety and cnfidentiality culd be cmprmised if yu the interpreter chse t d therwise. Take time t prperly intrduce yurself. Never prvide infrmatin t anyne ther than the persn yu were requested t cntact. Never leave a vice message (unless yu have received permissin frm the healthcare prvider). Never leave yur phne number with anyne. If yu are asked fr a phne number by the patient, give the phne number f the healthcare prvider. If the healthcare prvider asks fr yur phne number, prvide the name and number f supervisr. If yu have left the number f the healthcare prvider with the patient, let yur supervisr knw yu have dne s. When perfrming message relay r cnference call interpreting, make sure yur envirnment is a prfessinal ne even if wrking frm hme. Find a quiet space that allws fr privacy and minimal disruptins. Infrm thers that yu shuld nt be disturbed. If yu have Call Waiting, blck incming calls (temprarily cancel Call Waiting befre yu place a call). Cell phnes are nt reliable mediums fr the cnduct f message relay r cnference call interpreting. They are unreliable and carry a lt f interference and backgrund nise. They d nt allw fr the required degree f cnfidentiality and privacy. Use a landline whenever pssible. Public telephnes d nt allw fr privacy and cnfidentiality. Avid using public telephnes unless therwise instructed by Language Access t d s. Frward the assignment frm and any ntes t Language Access Interpreter Services as sn as an assignment is cmpleted. Remember All parties have a right t safety, security and privacy. 7