Useful Links

This section includes an annotated list of web sites which have proven to be useful to interpreters working in medical settings. If you have a resource to suggest, please share it with us.

General Medical | Medical Specialities | Demand-Control | Pharmaceutical | Interpreting Organizations | Medical Organizations | Books | General Interpreting

General Medical Sites

A.D.A.M. Illustrated Health Encyclopedia

The A.D.A.M. Health Encyclopedia provides written information about conditions and procedures and also has very clear diagrams. Extremely helpful in understanding the relative shape and locations of different parts human anatomy as well as what happens with specific procedures. It is used by a variety of sites on the web. This link goes to MerckSource, which is hosted by the pharmaceutical company, Merck.

ASL Cancer Education Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Created by the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, this video has RealPlayer videos in ASL on Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Uterine Cancer, and Prostate & Testicular Cancer.

DeafDoc

This web site features video and information from Carolyn Stern, MD, a board certified family practitioner who was born deaf. For interpreters, it includes a video dictionary with Dr. Stern giving ASL explanations of a variety of medical and health topics. As well, it has an extensive page of resources.

Health Information Translations

This site includes translations of medical information into a variety of languages. There are currently over 20 videos in ASL on a range of topics from general (e.g. cancer) to specific (e.g. cumadin).

Human Anatomy Online

An interactive site which lets you choose a system of the body and interactively see its component anatomy.

Human Atlas

The world´s largest library of 3D medical animations developed and copyrighted by Blausen Medical Communications. The Human Atlas features rotating model, labeled slides, and printable text in addition to animated videos. Hosted as part of MerckSource.

Instant Anatomy

This site has views of anatomical structures as well as lectures available in MP3 podcasts or in an Audio & Visual format which has the lecture combined with visual depiction. The lectures are similar to you would find in an anatomy course at the undergraduate level and are broken up into small segments in a way that makes for excellent interpreting practice.

Mayo Clinic

This site for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota has a wealth of information on conditions, treatments, procedures, and medications. It also has a variety of videos showing certain procedures or how to use certain medications. Videos are provided with written transcripts for accessibility.

Net Anatomy

This site is designed for health science students and features gross anatomy, including pictures of actual dissections to show what structures really look like and where they are located. In other words, you get to be in a lab without the smell of formaldehyde.

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Pharmaceutical/Pharmalogical Sites

Medline Plus Drug Information

This site which is a service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, includes written information on Drugs and Herbal Supplements.

Walgreen's Visual Formulary

This site includes visual pictures of pills in addition to written information. Very helpful for situations where a patient may not know the name of a medication, but will be able to describe the size, shape, and color of the pill.

Drug Digest

This site has a library of information about health conditions and the medications which are used to treat them. In addition to prescription medications, it has information on vitamins, herbs and supplements.

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Approaches to Medical Interpreting

Demand-Control Schema

Robyn Dean and Robert Pollard have developed many resources related to applying the demand-control schema to making informed choices as an interpreter, particularly related to medical settings. This web site has a variety of publications related to the implementation of this schema in interpreting and interpreter education.

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Interpreting Organizations

Conference of Interpreter Trainers

The Conference of Interpreter Trainers is a professional association of interpreter educators that:

• Provides opportunities for professional development of interpreter educators;
• Promotes high standards in institutions, faculties, programs, and curricula for the education of interpreters;
• Advocates for research relevant to the practice and instruction of interpreting;
• Encourages collegial relationships with professionals in other related disciplines and organizations.

National Alliance of Black Interpreters

The Mission Statement of the National Alliance of Black Interpreters, Inc. is to promote excellence and empowerment among African Americans/Blacks in the profession of sign language interpreting in the context of a multi-cultural, multi-lingual environment. Digiterp is in discussion with NAOBI, Inc. about potential collaboration to create new interpreting resources.

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc., (RID) is a national membership organization of professionals who provide sign language interpreting/transliterating services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons.

National Council on Interpreting in Heath Care

The NCIHC is a multidisciplinary organization based in the United States whose mission is to promote culturally competent professional health care interpreting as a means to support equal access to health care for individuals with limited English proficiency. Primariliy made up of spoken langauge interpreters, it has a variety of resources which are applicable to sign languaged interpreters working in health care settings.

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American Medical Association

The professional association of doctors in the United States. A good resource for seeing some of how physicians are responding to some of the trends in health care. Also has discussions of medical ethics from a doctor's point of view.

American Nurses Association

This is a site which allows you to get a perspective of trends in health care from the nursing perspective.

Doulas of North America

This site provides information on doulas who work with pregnant women and their families to have the type of birth experience they desire.

Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses

" The Association of Medical Professionals With Hearing Losses provides information, promotes advocacy and mentorship, and creates a network for individuals with hearing loss interested in or working in health care fields. "

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Printed Books

Deaf Patients, Hearing Medical Personnel: Interpreting and other considerations

Written by Tamara Moxham and published by Butte Publications www.buttepublications.com

This book is for interpreters, deaf patients, their loved ones, and hospital administrators.

General Interpreting Resources

TerpLink
A professional networking site for sign language interpreters. www.terplink.com.