Kaiser Permanente Trilingual Medical Terminology Reference Manual

From a one-on-one consultation between a pharmacist and a patient to a group conversation between a physician, patient, and family members, there are many instances in the modern health care setting that require overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers. The modern health care interpreter provides the way to overcome these barriers. Health care interpreting requires a complex and intricate set of skills and has become recognized as a professional service in the health care industry. As an integral member of the health care team, the interpreter facilitates linguistic and cultural understanding among the patient, clinician, and the health care system at large. Health care interpreting services are the key to assuring optimal care for limited-English profi cient (LEP) or non-English profi cient (NEP) patients. In addition, bilingual staff and clinicians play a vital role in facilitating successful health outcomes for these patients through their efforts to provide direct communication. The need for effective communication in culturally competent care was the driving force behind the creation of the original Kaiser Permanente Trilingual Reference Manual in 1995. Over a decade later the publication of the manual’s fi rst edition in English-Spanish-Chinese, and there continues to be a consistently high demand for consecutive editions. We are therefore very pleased to offer the fi rst edition of the Trilingual Reference Manual – English-Armenian-Russian. The goal of this manual is to serve as a guide and a linguistic reference tool for interpreters, translators, health care professionals, and consumers. We sincerely hope that you will fi nd this manual useful in your work.