Medical Interpreting in Spain, Italy and Romania: Healthcare Providers’ and Users’ Viewpoints

Medical interpreting mainly occurs in a triadic exchange where patients and health professionals exchange information. The role of the interpreter is not always clear and sometimes it is shaped by the expectations of other participants in this exchange. It is therefore important to gather the opinions of interpreters but also those of professionals and patients using interpreting services. In this chapter we will concentrate more on the opinions of the providers (HCPs), while also explaining the experiences of healthcare users (HCUs) who, at the time of accessing the healthcare services, did not speak the official language of the country. This will inform us on what both parties in this exchange expect from the interpreter as well as on their experiences when no professional interpreting was provided.