Peer Support for Medical Interpreters: Is Confidentiality a Barrier?

In this commentary, the authors explore medical interpreters’ views on confidentiality and sharing feelings with other interpreters about emotionally difficult interpreting encounters. Confidentiality is presented as a potential barrier for interpreters seeking peer support for coping with distress related to their work in a hospital. Interpreter insights were gathered in a mixed methods research project. We present a confidentiality training tool that the authors developed in response to interpreter perspectives. The aim of this training tool is to provide a decision-making mechanism for interpreters when they want to access peer support while also respecting legal stipulations and interpreter ethics on patient privacy and confidentiality. This tool helps interpreters make decisions when they are unsure about what kind of information they can share and when and where they can share it. The tool is useful for making decisions regarding patient or encounter information sharing when interpreters hand off cases to other interpreters or when they seek peer support for distress.