Interpreters play a crucial role in facilitating communication between users and providers of healthcare services who don’t speak the same language. Through an ethnographic study of interpreter-mediated medical consultations at the international outpatient department of a large Chinese hospital, this doctoral project aims to analyse the existing policies that govern the use of medical interpreters for foreign residents in China. It also explores the interactional patterns of interpreted consultations, their impact on development of collaborative relationships among doctors, patients, and interpreters.

This project has the potential to enhance policies, practices, and training programs related to medical interpreting, thereby contributing to more inclusive and patient-centered services within the international healthcare context.