Future Conference 2024

The conference ‘Sprache öffnet Türen’ [Language Opens Doors] brought together a range of stakeholders and interest groups. Their valuable expertise and diverse experiences – whether as healthcare professionals, interpreters or representatives from interpreting services, administrative and political officials, or patient advocates – led to rich discussions. The wide range of ideas and constructive suggestions focused on the question ‘What next?’, entirely in keeping with the event title, ‘Future Conference’. Key questions regarding the sustainable implementation of interpreting were discussed collectively: How can interpreting be integrated into healthcare in the long term? What structures and standards are required for this?

These issues formed the context for the hybrid event that took place at the historic Salon Babette on Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin on 15 November 2024. There were 75 attendees at the venue and an additional 50 joined online. In addition to expert discussions, the breaks provided an opportunity for further dialogue and networking. A variety of formats were used to explore different approaches to the future development of professional interpreting.

This report summarises the content and key findings of the conference and highlights the steps required to legally establish interpreting as an integral element of healthcare provision. The focus is on the following areas in particular:

• Establishment and funding of professional interpreting in the German Social Code and the healthcare system
• Quality assurance and the professionalisation of interpreting
• Development of a flexible, needs-based range of interpreting service formats

We would like to warmly thank all participants for enriching the conference with their valuable contributions, dedication, and expertise.

Future Prospects

The Future Conference on 15 November 2024 impressively demonstrated that interpreting in healthcare is not a marginal issue, but rather a fundamental requirement for patient-centred, high-quality care. Challenges, needs, and potential solutions were examined in depth during the keynote presentations, group discussions, workshops, and case study/fishbowl discussions. Despite many promising approaches, significant structural, financial, and legal hurdles remain.

We would like to thank all participants who enriched the conference with their expertise and dedication and provided crucial insights for the future development of professional interpreting. This intensive and constructive collaboration highlights that many important building blocks are already in place – the task now is to build on this momentum and work together to translate it into concrete (structural) measures.

What are the key findings and areas requiring action?

1. Establishment and funding of professional interpreting services:
   The right to clear communication between patients and doctors is stipulated in Section 630c (3) of the German Civil Code. However, due to the lack of systematic funding for professional interpreting services, this right often remains unfulfilled in practice. To remedy this issue, this right should be enshrined in the German Social Code. Interpreting should be recognised as a standard benefit covered by statutory health insurance. This could be achieved by amending Section 11a of Book V of the German Social Code (Types of Benefits). This would establish interpreting as a billable service within the healthcare system.
2. Quality standards and professionalisation:
   The presentations by the expert speakers and the discussions in the workshops made it clear that the quality of interpreting has a significant impact on the quality of treatment. In addition to uniform qualification standards for interpreters, professional associations and relevant institutions must also be involved to ensure the continued development of interpreters’ professional qualifications. Working with interpreters should also be a standard component of initial and ongoing training for healthcare professionals. Furthermore, the establishment of a supervisory framework for all stakeholders involved in the care process is essential to guarantee high-quality professional interpreting and treatment in the long term.
3. Development of a needs-based, modular service format for different scenarios and settings:
   The discussions highlighted that interpreting cannot be viewed as a blanket solution; instead, it must instead respond flexibly to the varying needs within the healthcare sector. While certain healthcare settings require in-person support from professional interpreters, hybrid solutions – such as a combination of in-person interpreting and digital tools – may be appropriate in other settings.

What are the next steps for the sustainable implementation of interpreting in healthcare, as discussed during the conference?

A. Further development of legislative initiatives:
Throughout the conference, participants repeatedly expressed an interest in collaborating on ideas for the planned draft legislation as well as refining existing implementation proposals. As the German coalition government collapsed in the period surrounding the conference and new elections were announced for 2025 (which took place in February), the idea arose to approach politicians and public officials in order to raise the issue of funding for interpreting in the healthcare sector during potential coalition negotiations. Participants interested in doing so are now organising themselves in the wake of the conference.

B. Strengthening the National Alliance for Interpreting:
Anyone interested is invited to get involved in the work of the Alliance. The National Alliance for Interpreting in Healthcare is an open network of stakeholders in the healthcare sector who are working together to ensure that professional interpreting is included in the list of services covered by statutory health insurance or in Book V of the German Social Code. The Alliance continues to urge the German Federal Government to push forward with legal regulations regarding interpreting in healthcare in order to improve care for patients with insufficient German language skills. While digital solutions are an important supplementary measure, they are no substitute for face-to-face interpreting in sensitive medical contexts. Furthermore, the Alliance calls for the establishment of a nationwide network of professional interpreting services in order to effectively overcome language barriers and improve healthcare provision. Further information can be found on the TransVer website: https://transver-berlin.de/nexus-positionspapier-sprachmittlung/

C. Evaluation of the use and implementation of interpreting:
As part of the SIMPLE project, a study is currently being conducted to examine which interpreting formats are particularly suited to different healthcare settings, how they can be sustainably integrated into existing structures, and what opportunities exist for their further development. Study

D. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about interpreting:
There is already an extensive pool of knowledge on this subject. To avoid stakeholders repeatedly having to compile this information from scratch, the SIMPLE project is producing a Q&A document about interpreting that will be made available online. This document is intended to address key questions about the implementation of interpreting, including: Why is professional interpreting necessary? What options and interpreting formats are available? What legal regulations are already in place and where are there gaps? FAQ