Understanding patient needs without understanding the patient: the need for complementary use of professional interpreters in end-of-life care.

摘要: High-quality doctor-patient communication in end-of-life care results better quality of life for patients. In linguistically and culturally diverse societies, language discordant consultations become daily practice, leading to difficulties eliciting patient preferences toward care. Although family members invariably act as informal interpreters, this may cause some ethical dilemmas. We present a case palliative whose son acted an interpreter. This generated triple- layered dilemma: (i) how safeguard autonomy against paternalistic interventions by members, (ii) respect the relational context which can be realized, (iii) ethno-cultural values his family. These issues are being discussed reflected upon within framework shared decision making involving informal- professional interpreters. The complementary use interpreters next acting is recommended.