Remote interpreting services are on the rise to support doctors and limited English proficient (LEP) patients in the shift to telehealth.
Telehealth has witnessed an upward trend in use among hospitals and medical institutions since Covid-19 pandemic. This virtual healthcare by far is regarded as a feasible solution and likely to be a long-term shift changing the localization industry.
Multilingual.com stated that 20% of US citizens are not proficient in English. This poses a huge problem related to the language barrier between patients and hospitals to have a checkup. The strategic impact of Covid-19 makes everything go online in almost all activities including healthcare. To meet the rising demand for go-line-services, Over-the-phone interpreting (OPI) and video remote interpreting (VRI) were adopted as ideal language solutions which fertility hospitalization to be safer and more accessible to people in need.
These new alternatives enable consistent communication between doctors and patients via online platforms, smartphones, or special portable tablets, with the support of a remote interpreter. And therefore, medical practitioners can quickly connect to a remote LEP patient with an interpreter already on the line. Telehealth received tremendous compliments on its ability to provide fast and convenient healthcare service to both urban and rural areas.
As an indispensable transformation of any industry, the adoption of telemedicine seems likely to substantially and permanently accelerate due to the crisis. When a new technology is introduced, it often faces disagreement and controversies from criticism. But once this brand-new method is considered advantageous in healthcare, it will no longer seem unfamiliar or frustrating.
Possibly, when the COVID-19 pandemic eventually recedes, telehealth will be a dominant trend in the Medical Industry. Therefore, telemedicine integrated with languages is increasingly critical in the midst of a global health crisis. As a language solution provider, we can figure out the necessity of Telehealth and its impact on the Localization industry. Along with material translation products, we are now providing online remote simultaneous interpreting which involves OPI and VRI, to best serve the demand of clients worldwide.
Source: Multilingual & Lionbridge
