Interpreter Services in Emergency Medicine Yu-Feng Chan MD, Kumar Alagappan MD, Joseph Rella MD, Suzanne Bentley, Marie Soto-Greene MD, Marcus L. Martin MD Abstract Emergency Department (ED) physicians are routinely confronted with problems associated with language barriers. It is important for emergency health care providers and the health system to strive for cultural competency when communicating with members of an increasingly diverse society. Solutions include professional interpretation, telephone interpretation, the use of bilingual staff members, the use of ad hoc interpreters, and more recently the use of mobile computer technology at the bedside. Each method carries a specific set of advantages and disadvantages. Although professionally-trained medical interpreters offer improved communication, better patient care, and overall cost savings, they are underutilized due to their perceived inefficiency. Ultimately, the solution will vary for every Emergency Department (ED) depending on the population served and available resources. Accessibility of the multiple interpretation options outlined above and solid support and commitment from hospital institutions are necessary to provide proper and culturally competent care for patients. Appropriate communications inclusive of interpreter services are essential for culturally competent provider/health systems and overall improved patient care. Introduction The Institute of Medicine defines optimal primary care as including “an understanding of the cultural…systems of patients and communities that may assist or hinder effective health care delivery.”(1) With the swelling cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity of the United States, health care providers face increased challenges in achieving what has been termed “cultural competence” in their clinical practice. Cultural competence has been described as the skillful negotiation of cultural diversity in all its manifestations, an important aspect of which is adequate communication with patients regardless of the language barrier.(2) Language is one of the aspects of cultural competency that is becoming an imperative standard. The most recent national census in 2000 reveals that one in five