A Review of Healthcare Interpreting Legislation and Practices in Light of the National Occupational Standard for “Translator/Interpreter”

Aslı Polat Ulaş

Makale detayları

A Review of Healthcare Interpreting Legislation and Practices in Light of the National Occupational Standard for “Translator/Interpreter”

Yazarlar:

Aslı Polat Ulaş

Yayıncı:

Yusuf ÇETİN

Ana Başlıklar:

Çeviri ve Yorum Çalışmaları

Dergi:

Söylem Filoloji Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.1152-1180

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357371

pISSN:

2548-0502

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 This study reviews healthcare interpreting activities in Türkiye in light of the National Occupational Standard for TranslatorInterpreter Level 6, 2013, 2020. Healthcare interpreting is one of the main sub-fields of community interpreting that allows for overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers between the staff in healthcare institutions and foreigners who do not speak the countrys language. In Türkiye, officially regulated healthcare interpreting services are mainly provided to refugees under Temporary Protection Status, the majority of whom are Syrians, and foreigners who come to the country for various purposes such as trade, education and, most importantly, health tourism. Refugees are mostly provided with healthcare interpreting services in public healthcare institutions under the EU-funded SIHHAT Project, which has been in effect since 2016. Foreigners other than refugees are mostly offered services, including interpreting services, in various medical branches in private healthcare institutions. This study questions the congruity between the criteria specified in the National Occupational Standard for TranslatorInterpreter and interpreting practices and legislation provisions within the scope of the SIHHAT Project and health tourism. The major data sources are legislation provisions on the said interpreting activities and providers of relevant services, as well as institutional documents including vacancy announcements. The study adopts the method of document analysis Bowen, 2009; Bryman, 2012. The data set is reviewed within the scope of Level 6 descriptors of the Turkish Qualifications Framework, which is the education level the National Occupational Standard for TranslatorInterpreter is based on, as well as the definition of the occupation, work environment and conditions, and the criteria concerning duties and tasks listed for the subheadings of work organization and translating and interpreting process under the profile of the occupation. The review also draws on the findings of academic studies on the subject. Functionalist approaches, which consider translationinterpreting a holistic activity with its agents and processes Holz-Mänttäri, 1984; Reiss and Vermeer, 19842014, shed light on the examination. The review adopting the qualitative content analysis approach Bryman, 2012, p. 557 revealed that the tendency towards institutionalisation was more pronounced in healthcare interpreting activities within the scope of the SIHHAT Project. It was found that the education level required of the relevant staff within the scope of the SIHHAT Project converged to Level 6, whereas the education level required of the staff within the scope of health tourism shifted away from this level. It was also found that the interpreters hired in the subsequent years of the SIHHAT Project have greater authority than the patient guides employed at Level 3 since the first phase of the project. Unlike the guides, whose roles focus on communication and accompaniment, the interpreters also handle translation and interpreting tasks, as well as procedures related to signature and consent forms. It was revealed that international patient guides, mostly employed in private healthcare institutions within the scope of health tourism, are responsible for organisation, coordination, and accompaniment as a main team member in the relevant units in addition to translation and interpreting tasks.

 This study reviews healthcare interpreting activities in Türkiye in light of the National Occupational Standard for TranslatorInterpreter Level 6, 2013, 2020. Healthcare interpreting is one of the main sub-fields of community interpreting that allows for overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers between the staff in healthcare institutions and foreigners who do not speak the countrys language. In Türkiye, officially regulated healthcare interpreting services are mainly provided to refugees under Temporary Protection Status, the majority of whom are Syrians, and foreigners who come to the country for various purposes such as trade, education and, most importantly, health tourism. Refugees are mostly provided with healthcare interpreting services in public healthcare institutions under the EU-funded SIHHAT Project, which has been in effect since 2016. Foreigners other than refugees are mostly offered services, including interpreting services, in various medical branches in private healthcare institutions. This study questions the congruity between the criteria specified in the National Occupational Standard for TranslatorInterpreter and interpreting practices and legislation provisions within the scope of the SIHHAT Project and health tourism. The major data sources are legislation provisions on the said interpreting activities and providers of relevant services, as well as institutional documents including vacancy announcements. The study adopts the method of document analysis Bowen, 2009; Bryman, 2012. The data set is reviewed within the scope of Level 6 descriptors of the Turkish Qualifications Framework, which is the education level the National Occupational Standard for TranslatorInterpreter is based on, as well as the definition of the occupation, work environment and conditions, and the criteria concerning duties and tasks listed for the subheadings of work organization and translating and interpreting process under the profile of the occupation. The review also draws on the findings of academic studies on the subject. Functionalist approaches, which consider translationinterpreting a holistic activity with its agents and processes Holz-Mänttäri, 1984; Reiss and Vermeer, 19842014, shed light on the examination. The review adopting the qualitative content analysis approach Bryman, 2012, p. 557 revealed that the tendency towards institutionalisation was more pronounced in healthcare interpreting activities within the scope of the SIHHAT Project. It was found that the education level required of the relevant staff within the scope of the SIHHAT Project converged to Level 6, whereas the education level required of the staff within the scope of health tourism shifted away from this level. It was also found that the interpreters hired in the subsequent years of the SIHHAT Project have greater authority than the patient guides employed at Level 3 since the first phase of the project. Unlike the guides, whose roles focus on communication and accompaniment, the interpreters also handle translation and interpreting tasks, as well as procedures related to signature and consent forms. It was revealed that international patient guides, mostly employed in private healthcare institutions within the scope of health tourism, are responsible for organisation, coordination, and accompaniment as a main team member in the relevant units in addition to translation and interpreting tasks.

 This study reviews healthcare interpreting activities in Türkiye in light of the National Occupational Standard for TranslatorInterpreter Level 6, 2013, 2020. Healthcare interpreting is one of the main sub-fields of community interpreting that allows for overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers between the staff in healthcare institutions and foreigners who do not speak the countrys language. In Türkiye, officially regulated healthcare interpreting services are mainly provided to refugees under Temporary Protection Status, the majority of whom are Syrians, and foreigners who come to the country for various purposes such as trade, education and, most importantly, health tourism. Refugees are mostly provided with healthcare interpreting services in public healthcare institutions under the EU-funded SIHHAT Project, which has been in effect since 2016. Foreigners other than refugees are mostly offered services, including interpreting services, in various medical branches in private healthcare institutions. This study questions the congruity between the criteria specified in the National Occupational Standard for TranslatorInterpreter and interpreting practices and legislation provisions within the scope of the SIHHAT Project and health tourism. The major data sources are legislation provisions on the said interpreting activities and providers of relevant services, as well as institutional documents including vacancy announcements. The study adopts the method of document analysis Bowen, 2009; Bryman, 2012. The data set is reviewed within the scope of Level 6 descriptors of the Turkish Qualifications Framework, which is the education level the National Occupational Standard for TranslatorInterpreter is based on, as well as the definition of the occupation, work environment and conditions, and the criteria concerning duties and tasks listed for the subheadings of work organization and translating and interpreting process under the profile of the occupation. The review also draws on the findings of academic studies on the subject. Functionalist approaches, which consider translationinterpreting a holistic activity with its agents and processes Holz-Mänttäri, 1984; Reiss and Vermeer, 19842014, shed light on the examination. The review adopting the qualitative content analysis approach Bryman, 2012, p. 557 revealed that the tendency towards institutionalisation was more pronounced in healthcare interpreting activities within the scope of the SIHHAT Project. It was found that the education level required of the relevant staff within the scope of the SIHHAT Project converged to Level 6, whereas the education level required of the staff within the scope of health tourism shifted away from this level. It was also found that the interpreters hired in the subsequent years of the SIHHAT Project have greater authority than the patient guides employed at Level 3 since the first phase of the project. Unlike the guides, whose roles focus on communication and accompaniment, the interpreters also handle translation and interpreting tasks, as well as procedures related to signature and consent forms. It was revealed that international patient guides, mostly employed in private healthcare institutions within the scope of health tourism, are responsible for organisation, coordination, and accompaniment as a main team member in the relevant units in addition to translation and interpreting tasks.

 Bu çalışmada Türkiyede yürütülen sağlık çevirmenliği faaliyetleri, çeviride meslekleşme açısından oldukça önemli bir belge olan Çevirmen Ulusal Meslek Standardı ÇUMS Seviye 6, 2013, 2020 açısından incelenmektedir. Sağlık çevirmenliği toplum çevirmenliğinin başlıca alt alanlarından biri olup sağlık kuruluşlarında görevliler ile ülkenin dilini bilmeyen yabancılar arasında dil ve kültür farklılıklarından kaynaklanan engellerin aşılmasına olanak tanır. Türkiyede mevzuatla düzenlenen başlıca sağlık çevirmenliği hizmetleri çoğunluğu Suriyeli olan Geçici Koruma Statüsü altındaki sığınmacılar ile ticaret, eğitim ve en önemlisi sağlık turizmi amacıyla ülkeye gelen yabancılara sunulmaktadır. Sığınmacılara çoğunlukla 2016 yılından bu yana yürürlükte olan Avrupa Birliği destekli SIHHAT Projesi kapsamında kamu sağlık kuruluşlarında sağlık çevirmenliği hizmetleri sunulmaktadır. Mülteciler dışındaki diğer yabancılara ise çoğunlukla özel sağlık kuruluşlarında çeşitli tıbbi branşlarda verilen sağlık hizmetleri kapsamında çeviri desteği sağlanmaktadır. Bu çalışma, SIHHAT Projesi ve sağlık turizmi bağlamındaki sağlık çevirmenliği uygulamaları ve ilgili mevzuatın ÇUMS ölçütleriyle uyumluluğunu sorgulamaktadır. Çalışmanın veri kaynağı, anılan çeviri faaliyetleri ve çeviri hizmetlerini sunanlara ilişkin mevzuat hükümleri ile istihdam ilanlarını kapsayan kurumsal belgeler olup çalışmada doküman incelemesi yöntemi benimsenmiştir Bowen, 2009; Bryman, 2012. Veri seti, ÇUMSun konumlandırıldığı eğitim seviyesi olan Türkiye Yeterlilikler Çerçevesi TYÇ Seviye 6 tanımlayıcıları ve ÇUMSta yer alan meslek tanımı, çalışma ortamı ve koşulları ile meslek profili başlığı altındaki başarım ölçütleri ve ilgili görevlerin tanımlandığı başlıklardan iş organizasyonu ve sözlü ve yazılı çeviri süreci kapsamında incelenmektedir. İncelemede konuya ilişkin akademik çalışmaların bulgularından da yararlanılmaktadır. Çeviriyi eyleyenleri ve süreci ile bir eylem olarak ele alan işlevsel yaklaşımlar Holz-Mänttäri, 1984; Reiss ve Vermeer, 19842014 incelemeye ışık tutmaktadır. Anılan başlıklara ilişkin nitel içerik analizi Bryman, 2012, s. 557 yaklaşımı benimsenen inceleme sonucunda, SIHHAT Projesi kapsamındaki sağlık çevirmenliği faaliyetlerinde kurumsallaşma eğiliminin daha belirgin olduğu görülmüştür. SIHHAT Projesi kapsamında görevlendirilen ilgili personelin sağlaması gereken eğitim seviyesi koşulunun ÇUMSun konumlandırıldığı Seviye 6 ile daha uyumlu olduğu tespit edilirken, sağlık turizmi kapsamındaki ilgili personelin yerine getirmesi gereken eğitim seviyesi koşulunun Seviye 6dan uzaklaştığı saptanmıştır. SIHHAT Projesinin sonraki yıllarında istihdam edilmeye başlanan tercümanların, projenin ilk etabından itibaren Seviye 3 düzeyinde istihdam edilen ve çoğunlukla iletişim, karşılama, rehberlik görevlerinden sorumlu tutulan hasta yönlendirme personelinden daha fazla yetkiyle, yazılı ve sözlü çeviri ile imza ve onam formları işlemlerinden sorumlu tutulduğu tespit edilmiştir. Sağlık turizmi kapsamında çoğunlukla özel sağlık kuruluşlarında istihdam edilen uluslararası hasta rehberlerinin yazılı ve sözlü çevirinin yanı sıra ilgili birimlerde asli ekip üyesi olarak organizasyon, koordinasyon, refakat görevlerinden sorumlu olduğu tespit edilmiştir.

Makale detayları

A Review of Healthcare Interpreting Legislation and Practices in Light of the National Occupational Standard for “Translator/Interpreter”

Yazarlar:

Aslı Polat Ulaş

Yayıncı:

Yusuf ÇETİN

Ana Başlıklar:

Çeviri ve Yorum Çalışmaları

Dergi:

Söylem Filoloji Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.1152-1180

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357371

pISSN:

2548-0502

The National Occupational Standard for “Translator/Interpreter”

healthcare interpreting

SIHHAT Project

health tourism

functionalist approaches to translation/interpretingÇevirmen Ulusal Meslek Standardı

sağlık çevirmenliği

SIHHAT Projesi

sağlık turizmi

çeviriye işlevsel yaklaşımlar

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Aslı Polat Ulaş

Yayıncı: Yusuf ÇETİN

Ana Başlıklar: Çeviri ve Yorum Çalışmaları

Dergi: Söylem Filoloji Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.1152-1180

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 8/2025

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001357371

pISSN: 2548-0502

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Aslı Polat Ulaş

Yayıncı:

Yusuf ÇETİN

Ana Başlıklar:

Çeviri ve Yorum Çalışmaları

Dergi:

Söylem Filoloji Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.1152-1180

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357371

pISSN:

2548-0502