title: Experiences of interpreters in supporting the transition from oncology to palliative care: A qualitative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Medical consultations focused on managing the transition to palliative care are interpersonally challenging and require high levels of communicative competence. In the context of non-English speaking patients, communication challenges are further complicated due to the requirement of interpreting; a process with the potential to add intense layers of complexity in the clinical encounter, such as misunderstanding, misrepresentation and power imbalances. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences and perspectives of professional interpreters in supporting the transition of culturally and linguistically diverse patients to specialist palliative care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative, semistructured interviews with 20 professional interpreters working in oncology and palliative care settings in two metropolitan hospitals in Queensland, Australia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four key themes emerged from the thematic analysis: the challenges of translating the meaning of "palliative care"; managing interpreting in the presence of family care-givers; communicating and expressing sensitivity while remaining professional and interpreters' own emotional burden of difficult clinic encounters between doctor and patient negotiations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that interpreters face a range of often concealed interpersonal and interprofessional challenges and recognition of such dynamics will help provide necessary support for these key stakeholders in the transition to palliative care. Enriched understanding of interpreters' experiences has clinical implications on improving how health professionals interact and work with interpreters in this sensitive setting.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.affiliation: School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Broom
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care, St Vincent's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.|Department of Palliative and Supportive Care, Mater Health Services, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Good
authors.affiliation: School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.affiliation: Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Zarnie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lwin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014175:Translating
keywords: CALD; communication; interpreting; palliative care; qualitative; translating