A medical assistant is treating a patient who is a recent immigrant and speaks limited English. Despite language barriers, the patient appears to be in distress and is having difficulty explaining their symptoms. Which of the following actions should the medical assistant take to effectively communicate and provide appropriate care?
Wait for the patient's family member who speaks English to arrive and use them as an interpreter.
Seek the help of a certified medical interpreter or use a translation service to assist with communication.
Attempt to guess the patient's symptoms based on non-verbal cues and proceed with treatment.
Continue the consultation without addressing the communication barrier, assuming that the patient's discomfort is not severe.
Using an interpreter is the correct choice because it ensures accurate communication between the patient and the medical assistant, which is essential for proper diagnosis and treatment. Ignoring the patient's discomfort would be unethical and could lead to misdiagnosis. Waiting for the provider may delay necessary immediate interventions, and attempting to guess the symptoms can result in misunderstandings and potentially harm the patient.
Ask Bash
Bash is our AI bot, trained to help you pass your exam. AI Generated Content may display inaccurate information, always double-check anything important.
What is a certified medical interpreter?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
Why is it important to use a certified interpreter instead of a family member?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
What are some tools or services available for medical translation?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
AAMA CMA
General
Your Score:
Report Issue
Bash, the Crucial Exams Chat Bot
AI Bot
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Nursing and Medical Assistants Package Join Premium for Full Access