Applying a Problem Solving
Technique, “DECIDE” Activity
Ethics of Interpreting
B. Aron 2010
A Situation:
 You are interpreting for a patient in a doctor’s office.
 The doctor said, “Because you are taking this new
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medication RX-2, don’t take this medication-RX-1 for
three days or it will kill you.”
Then you accompany the patient to different doctor for
another problem the same patient has.
The second doctor said, “You need to continue to take
medication RX-1 to help you resolve your problem.”
The patient did not argue but took the prescription
nodding her head as if she understood and is in
agreement.
What do you do as an interpreter?
The DECIDE concept
 Now let’s apply the DECIDE concept:
 Dilemma: What is the dilemma?
 Ethic: Which tenet(s) does this situation
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apply?
Choices: list all the choices possible
Impact: Who will it affect and how?
Decision: Make a decision based on the
least impact
Effects: How will it effect everyone involved?
Dilemma
 The patient will die if she does not disclose
that she is taking RX-2 to the second
doctor who recommended she continue
taking RX-1
 You will feel responsible if something
happened to the patient
 The doctors (both of them) may be liable
Ethic
 Which of the RID Code of Professional
Conduct does this situation impact?
 Tenet 1: confidentiality, you are sworn to
confidentiality, the patient is an adult and
you should respect this.
 Tenet 3 respect for consumers, respect for
the right of the consumer to make choices
Choices
1. Remind the patient about the other medication
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3.
4.
5.
she is taking which may conflict with the new
RX.
Remind the doctor to check patient’s chart for
an update
Rephrase/repeat what the first doctor said to
the patient and hope she will remember to
inform the 2nd doctor on her own
Repeat/rephrase what the first doctor said in
sign language and voice so that the 2nd doctor
will know what was being said
Say nothing and hope for the best.
Impact
1st choice: Remind the patient about the other
medication she is taking which may conflict with
the new RX.
 Impact: Patient may not appreciate your
stepping out of your interpreter role and being
“condescending”
2nd Choice: Remind the doctor to check patient’s
chart for an update
 Impact: Doctor and patient may not appreciate
your stepping out of line either.
Impact (cont’d)
3rd Choice: rephrase/repeat what the first doctor said to the patient and
then add the second doctor’s directions to help remind the patient
to inform the 2nd doctor on her own
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Impact: Patient may not really understand the first set of
instructions so repeating/rephrasing may clarify the first set of
instructions with the second set of instructions.
4th Choice: Repeat/rephrase what the first doctor said in sign language
and then voice so that the 2nd doctor will know what was being
said.
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Impact: You may be stepping out of line because that
conversation occurred earlier and not in the second doctor’s room
yet, you may just say you are reviewing what was said earlier and
leave it at that.
5th Choice: Say nothing and hope for the best. That may be the worst
impact as the burden will be on you and the doctors if something
bad happened to the patient. Can you live with the
consequences?
Decision
 I would choose Choice # 3:
 I will just repeat/rephrase the first doctor’s
instructions then add the second doctor’s
instructions in case the patient did not
really understand or forgot the first
doctor’s instructions. This will put the
responsibility to the patient to inform the
second doctor of the conflict in the
prescriptions.
Effects
 1. The patient is ultimately responsible for
disclosure therefore confidentiality and
respect for the consumer is maintained.
 2. The doctor will hear directly from the
patient so interpreter maintains her role as
an interpreter in this interaction.
 3. A potentially dangerous situation is
thereby averted.
Ethics and Decision Making Circles
 A moderator will be chosen by peers in your
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circle.
Using the situation you chose for your journal,
each person share the situation with your circle.
Discuss how you apply the DECIDE concept to
that situation
Have others provide feedback/ask for
clarification, add other options
Each person take turns sharing their situation
and how they apply the DECIDE concept.