Choose an option for the ethical dilemma in order to continue

Hearing Test

Difficulty
Beginner
Domain
Medical
Subdomain
Audiology
Environment
Hearing center
Region
Northern California, USA
Time Estimate:
14 min.
Avg. Length per Line:
5 sec.
Introductory Summary
The interpreter goes to an in-person interpreting assignment at Cochlea Hearing Center in Castro Valley, California.
Disclaimer:
This text is an original work of fiction based on real scenarios. Any similarities between people or places are purely coincidental.
Participants
Abbr. Role Language(s)
Int Interpreter en-US es-US
Pt Patient es-DO
Dr ENT Specialist en-US
FDA Front Desk Assistant en-US
Contributors
Author
Romina Espinosa
Co-Author
Ana Soler
Editors
Devin Gilbert
Yohana Imperio
Allison deFreese
Audio Engineer
Omar Mendoza
Voice Actors
Patient
Arismendy Frica
Interpreter
Delaney Johns
ENT Specialist
Nathaniel Murphy
Front Desk Assistant
Mayelín Sabala Veras
Full Summary
The interpreter goes to an in-person interpretation assignment at Cochlea Hearing Center in Castro Valley, California. It is a new location for her. While waiting for the elevator, a man holding a newspaper walks into the building and waits for the elevator, too. Jacinta and the man exit the elevator on the same floor, the fifth floor. The man also heads over to the same medical office as the interpreter. When Jacinta introduces herself to the front desk assistant and mentions she is there to interpret for Mr. Lopez, the staff mentions Mr. Lopez is right behind her. The interpreter does her pre-session right away and waits, sitting next to the patient in the lobby. The interpreter faces an ethical dilemma while they wait for the doctor. The ENT specialist comes out to the lobby after five minutes and walks the interpreter and patient into his medical room.
Main Challenges
The patient is hard of hearing and the interpreter must raise her voice to be heard. A second challenge is that the interpreter faces an ethical dilemma before the patient-doctor encounter but maintains a professional demeanor at all times and continues interpreting despite these challenges.
Key Terminology and Vocabulary
English español
--- hearing history historial auditivo ---
--- hearing test prueba auditiva ---
--- tone audiogram audiometría tonal ---
--- receiver lane cable receptor ---
BPPV benign paroxysmal positional vertigo VPPB vértigo postural paroxístico benigno
--- vertigo vértigo ---
--- dizziness mareos ---
--- tinnitus tinnitus ---
--- ear infection infección al oído ---
--- surgery cirugía ---
--- hearing loss pérdida de audición ---
hearing aid hearing device aparato auditivo ---
--- severe grave ---
--- audio sound test prueba de sonido ---
--- voice reduction reducción de voz ---
--- health insurance aseguranza médica seguro médico

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Supplementary Resources
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (Mayo Clinic)
Tinnitus (Mayo Clinic)
Types of Hearing Aids (US FDA)
Anatomy of diagnosis in a clinical encounter: how clinicians discuss uncertainty with patients (Springer)
Guide to Interpreter Positioning in Healthcare Settings (National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare)
California Standards for Healthcare Interpreters (California Healthcare Interpreting Association)
CIFE: An Interpreter’s Tool (Multnomah County)
A National Code of Ethics for Interpreters in Healthcare (National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare)
A National Code of Ethics for Interpreters in Healthcare (National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare)
False Friends Dictionary: English-Spanish
Semantically Speaking: Does meaning structure unite languages? (Santa Fe Institute)

Dialogue