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The recent rise of medical tourists coming to Korea has brought a concomitant demand for, and interest in, healthcare interpreter services in the country. The sudden boom in medical tourism has been driven partly by the government, which recently removed regulatory barriers to healthcare providers attracting international patients and provided administrative support for healthcare providers, medical tourists and medical travel agents. In addition, the government recently supported the development of a medical interpreter training program called the ATPHI, thereby changing the training landscape of this field. The 200-hour training program differs widely from the traditional programs, most of which target those seeking to become 'medical tour coordinators' and focus largely on textbook knowledge. Despite the recent signs of progress, however, a number of issues on healthcare interpreting remain unaddressed. This study suggests that one of the most effective ways to deal with those issues is to introduce a special bill on healthcare interpreting, which may cover a range of topics including the recruitment of medical interpreters and the rights of international patients. In relation to healthcare interpreter training programs, this study suggests that curriculum should be organized in a way that better reflects related factors, that rigorous entry and/or completion requirements should be adopted, and that training opportunities should be increased in number and scope.
The recent rise of medical tourists coming to Korea has brought a concomitant demand for, and interest in, healthcare interpreter services in the country. The sudden boom in medical tourism has been driven partly by the government, which recently removed regulatory barriers to healthcare providers attracting international patients and provided administrative support for healthcare providers, medical tourists and medical travel agents. In addition, the government recently supported the development of a medical interpreter training program called the ATPHI, thereby changing the training landscape of this field. The 200-hour training program differs widely from the traditional programs, most of which target those seeking to become 'medical tour coordinators' and focus largely on textbook knowledge. Despite the recent signs of progress, however, a number of issues on healthcare interpreting remain unaddressed. This study suggests that one of the most effective ways to deal with those issues is to introduce a special bill on healthcare interpreting, which may cover a range of topics including the recruitment of medical interpreters and the rights of international patients. In relation to healthcare interpreter training programs, this study suggests that curriculum should be organized in a way that better reflects related factors, that rigorous entry and/or completion requirements should be adopted, and that training opportunities should be increased in number and scope.
