Video Remote Interpreting

Overcome communication challenges with Video Remote Interpreting

Imagine for a second that you are an Emergency Room doctor and an ambulance has just pulled in with a person who was injured in a car accident. Because the person is Deaf, you are unable to understand his explanation to you about what hurts, how he feels and the phone number for his wife. What are your next steps in communicating with this patient in a timely manner?

Now imagine you are a case manager working with a child whose mother is Deaf. You have attempted again and again to find a sign language interpreter for an upcoming meeting, but are unable to find one who is available. What do you do?

Scenes like these are not so out of the ordinary. Statistically eight percent of the population has a hearing loss and one percent is profoundly deaf. In Maine, that translates into approximately 117,000 people who may require a qualified sign language interpreter.

Partnering with Pine Tree Society Interpreting Services to provide Video Remote Interpreting means that your organization will have access to a qualified interpreter when you need it.

Video Remote Interpreting: an innovative, cost-effective option

Maine is a rural state and has experienced a shortage of qualified sign language interpreters. These barriers led Pine Tree Society, a Maine-based non-profit organization committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in innovative ways, to establish Video Remote Interpreting in 2001. We have worked closely with Maine Telemedicine Services and continue the partnership with their network and its members today.

Video Remote Interpreting utilizes the state-of-the-art Interactive Video Conferencing (ITV) technology operating at 30 frames per second via high-speed telephone lines. This allows Pine Tree Society's qualified staff to provide sign language interpreting services to Deaf and hearing people in a remote location. This technology is already in place in hospitals, medical centers and many organizations throughout the state.

This cutting edge service overcomes barriers often faced by Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals as well as the organizations that face challenges in providing appropriate accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is HIPAA compliant. Over the past four years, more than 22 hospitals, medical centers and other organizations have established a partnership with Interpreting Services to provide Video Remote Interpreting services. It has proven to be a highly effective and fiscally responsible solution for our partners.

Benefits of Video Remote Interpreting

For organizations, the overriding benefit of VRI is the assurance that a qualified, experienced sign language interpreter will be available quickly for emergency situations and pre-scheduled appointments. VRI reduces the often high travel costs for interpreters.

A recently completed evaluation of the use of Video Remote Interpreting specifically in hospitals and medical centers clearly illustrates the value of this service.

Nearly 40% of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing people surveyed said that without the availability of VRI, they would not have gotten help. It is clear that VRI is fulfilling an important need. A strong testament to the overall acceptability of Video Remote Interpreting to Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients is the 74% response rate of "True" for the following question: "Without VRI here, I have to go to a different hospital that has VRI." While a major objective is to eliminate unnecessary travel for the target populations, VRI has proven itself to be valuable enough that many are willing to travel for it. Deaf and hard-of-hearing clients also remarked favorably regarding the quality of service VRI allows.

On the survey, respondents marked "True: at high rates for the following items:

• "With VRI, I feel more comfortable with the hospital staff" - 90%
• "With VRI, I can communicate better with hospital staff" - 81%
• "With VRI, I can explain my problem better" - 95%
• "With VRI, I understand better what the hospital staff told me about my problem" - 95%
• "With VRI, I understand better what I need to do to feel better" - 91%
• "With VRI, I will come back for my next appointment" - 88%
  

Health care providers attested to the high level of quality the service afforded them. Based on their comments, it is safe to say that using VRI is seen as the same or better than using an interpreter on site for an overwhelming majority of those who have used the technology.

• "Client able to explain problem"
  44% practitioners answered "Same"
  22% practitioners answered "Improved"
  22% practitioners answered "Much Improved"
  (i.e. 88% same or better)
• "Client understanding of my assessment"
  50% practitioners answered "Same,"
  25% practitioners answered "Improved"
  1 9% practitioners answered "Much Improved"
  (i.e. 94% same or better)
• "Client understanding of instructions"
  44% practitioners answered "Same"
  25% practitioners answered "Improved”
  19% practitioners answered "Much Improved"
  (i.e. 86% same or better)

Supporting you along the way

Video Remote Interpreting is an exciting journey for your organization to embark on and we will be there to support you along the way. Our trainings are designed to educate staff members in Deaf Culture, American Sign Language, use of sign language interpreters, the requirements of providing access to Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients/clients to appropriate communication assistance, and technical aspects of the Video Remote Interpreting system.

Pine Tree Society Interpreting Services program has been a leader in providing highest quality sign language interpreting services since 1976. All of our professional interpreters follow the National Association of the Deaf - Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Code of Professional Conduct and practice generally accepted professional standards. In addition, all interpreters are licensed by the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation and are eligible to practice in Maine. Within the past year a number of interpreters in the Interpreting Services pool have been awarded certification by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. This effort to advance skills demonstrates Interpreting Services commitment and the resolve of professional interpreters to continually improve the quality of services provided to customers.

Learn more

Please contact Interpreting Services for additional information, to request a demonstration or to set up a meeting. Please contact us at (207) 885-0536 or interpreting@pinetreesociety.org.