Evaluation of Adaptation Training Provided by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization: Patient Guides within the Context of Healthcare Interpreting Training in Turkey

Abstract

Communication barriers and cultural differences are significant problems for people moving to a new society and encountering many challenges in getting access to public services. Especially a displaced population experience difficulties in communicating with the officials and the host society especially in health settings where human health is concerned. Therefore, these people seek the help of healthcare interpreters to mediate and provide communication between the interlocutors for more comprehensive mutual understanding in medical interaction. In this regard, healthcare interpreter training has vital importance in providing quality interpreting services and delivery in interpreter-mediated encounters. With this framework, this study aims to evaluate the adaptation training provided to patient guides by the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization as a part of the “Adaptation Training to Turkish Health System for Syrians under Temporary Protection” under “Sıhhat Project (namely, Improving the Health Status of the Syrian Population under Temporary Protection and Related Services Provided by Turkish Authorities) within the context of healthcare interpreting training. This study investigates the socio-demographic and professional profiles of patient guides who have received the adaptation training, their opinions on receiving healthcare interpreting training as well as the opinions and needs to learn the new interpreting related subjects to be included in the curriculum, also the patient guides’ opinions and level of satisfaction on the training they received. A descriptive method was used in this study. The questionnaire was administered to the sample group of the study who are 64 patient guides recruited in health facilities in Ankara to collect their opinions and information which were analyzed for the purpose of the study. The study results seem to reveal that the socio-demographic and professional profiles of the patient guides and indicate that they are eligible for receiving upper-level healthcare interpreting training. They also revealed that the patient guides have mostly positive opinions and their needs on the inclusion of new minimum crucial interpreting-related subjects in the curriculum. Moreover, the study presents some aspects to be improved through an investigation of their opinions presented and level of satisfaction on the training received.