Communication issues | British Dental Journal


Communication issues | British Dental Journal

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Armitage R. On interpreters: the ethics of interpreter use in general practice. _J Med Ethics_ 2024; DOI: 10.1136/jme-2024-110389. INTERPRETER COSTS ARE MEASURED IN MORE THAN MONEY. Language


congruency between patients and clinicians is essential for patient involvement in consultations, the describing of symptoms and issues of motivation and behaviour. It is estimated that in


2021, over 3 million GP appointments in England required the use of an interpreter. Interpreters can be broadly classified into three categories: * Casual (1) - friends, carers or family


members - may be preferred by the patient for confidentiality - but may lack understanding of health terminology for guaranteed understanding, exposing the clinician to legal risk of


misinterpretation and consent - may mask safeguarding concerns if the patient is subject to abuse by the interpreter - places a burden on the interpreter if bad news needs to be shared *


Professional - registered with a professional body, ensuring accuracy, impartiality and health literacy - a financial cost is involved * available face to face (2) where trust can be built -


need to be pre-booked for each appointment - continuity is more likely * available by telephone (3)- more difficult to build trust - continuity is less likely All appointments utilising the


services of an interpreter involve a time cost due to the need for repetition of information. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Retired GDP/Clinical Teacher, Bexhill-on-Sea,


East Sussex, UK Paul Hellyer Authors * Paul Hellyer View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Paul Hellyer.


RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Hellyer, P. Communication issues. _Br Dent J_ 238, 36 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-025-8290-6


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