CMI Cultural Competency and Sensitivity 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a patient uses a folk illness term (e.g., 'susto' or 'mal de ojo'), the interpreter should:
- Omit the term and substitute a biomedical diagnosis
- Render the term accurately and, if necessary, provide a brief cultural explanation to the provider (Correct answer)
- Tell the patient those beliefs are not medically valid
- Ask the patient to use medical terminology instead
Correct answer: Render the term accurately and, if necessary, provide a brief cultural explanation to the provider
Folk illness terms carry cultural meaning; the interpreter renders them faithfully and may briefly explain the cultural concept to the provider to ensure appropriate care.
Question 2: Which of the following practices best demonstrates cultural humility in a medical interpreter?
- Assuming all patients from a culture share identical beliefs
- Continuously self-reflecting and acknowledging the limits of one's cultural knowledge (Correct answer)
- Refusing to interpret for cultures the interpreter knows little about
- Applying cultural stereotypes to predict patient behavior
Correct answer: Continuously self-reflecting and acknowledging the limits of one's cultural knowledge
Cultural humility involves ongoing self-reflection, openness to learning, and acknowledging that no interpreter can fully know every aspect of another's culture.
Question 3: In some cultural contexts, discussing death or a terminal prognosis directly with a patient may be considered:
- A legal requirement that must always be fulfilled
- Harmful or taboo, with family traditionally receiving such news first (Correct answer)
- Standard best practice in all US hospitals
- Irrelevant to the interpreter's role
Correct answer: Harmful or taboo, with family traditionally receiving such news first
In some cultures, communicating a terminal diagnosis directly to the patient is considered harmful or disrespectful, and family members traditionally receive and filter such information.
Question 4: Which of the following is the interpreter's correct approach when a patient refuses to answer a question citing cultural reasons?
- Pressure the patient to answer for the sake of the medical record
- Interpret the refusal accurately and leave the decision to the provider and patient (Correct answer)
- Answer the question on the patient's behalf
- Skip the question and move on without informing the provider
Correct answer: Interpret the refusal accurately and leave the decision to the provider and patient
The interpreter faithfully conveys the patient's refusal to the provider without judgment or pressure, preserving patient autonomy.
Question 5: What is an interpreter's responsibility when they recognize that a patient's cultural practice (e.g., herbal remedy use) may interact with prescribed medications?
- Advise the patient not to use herbal remedies
- Interpret the information accurately so the provider is aware (Correct answer)
- Omit the information to avoid embarrassing the patient
- Prescribe an alternative remedy
Correct answer: Interpret the information accurately so the provider is aware
The interpreter's role is to accurately render all relevant information, including the patient's use of traditional or herbal remedies, so the provider can assess potential interactions.
Question 6: The term 'ethnocentrism' in medical interpreting refers to:
- Specializing in interpreting for one ethnic community
- The tendency to evaluate other cultures by the standards of one's own culture (Correct answer)
- A certification requirement for ethnic minority interpreters
- Translating medical terms into ethnic dialects
Correct answer: The tendency to evaluate other cultures by the standards of one's own culture
Ethnocentrism is judging other cultures by one's own cultural standards, which can lead to bias and miscommunication in medical encounters.
CMI Cultural Competency and Sensitivity 2
When a patient uses a folk illness term (e.g., 'susto' or 'mal de ojo'), the interpreter should: