[What do Interpreters Understand as their Role in a Medical Consultation and How do they Carry it out in Reality?]. / Wie verstehen Dolmetscher ihre Rolle in medizinischen Konsultationen und wie verhalten sie sich konkret in der Praxis?

OBJECTIVES: In the literature the role of an interpreter in the clinical setting is not yet clearly defined. The aim of the study is to explore, which role the interpreters assign to themselves and which role they actually take in the clinical setting. METHODS: In the quantitative part of the study, the interpreters evaluated their role in the clinical encounter through a questionnaire, whereas in the qualitative part the interpreters' role was assessed by analysing videotapes of the clinical encounters. RESULTS: 373 questionnaires and 19 videotapes were collated and analysed. According to the results of the questionnaire interpreters seem to prefer a neutral role in the clinical encounter. This was in contrast to what was observed in practice, as seen in the videotapes. In reality, they take in an active role while interpreting. CONCLUSIONS: It is important that medical professionals and interpreters discuss their roles and expectations before every clinical consultation.

The lived body (Der Leib) as a diagnostic and therapeutic instrument in general practice.

Based on vignettes from clinical cases, supervision and Balint groups this article presents a neo-phenomenological perspective on the lived experience of healthcare professionals in interactions with patients and relatives. Specifically, the familiar phenomenon of "something in the air" between two persons will be analyzed.Constellations and situations are presented as fundamental and generic (ontological) categories that can be differentiated to understand the details and the whole (die Gestalt) of an interaction.The term atmosphere is introduced to investigate the material carrier of something that "colors the air" between healthcare provider and patient.The neo-phenomenological taxonomy of the lived body (der Leib) is used to describe the recipient structure of atmospheric mood.Finally, the potential of these concepts for a more comprehensive diagnosis and for therapeutic use in general practice will be elucidated.

Health care professionals' experiences with goal setting during initial rehabilitation after newly acquired spinal cord injury/ disorder - a qualitative focus group study.

Introduction: Goal setting (GS) is an important aspect of initial spinal cord injury/ disorder (SCI/D) rehabilitation. However, because expected outcomes are individual and often difficult to determine, GS is not straightforward. The aim of this study was to explore the health care professionals' (HCP's) experiences with and perspectives on the goal-setting process (GSP) during initial SCI/D rehabilitation. Method: Five semi-structured focus groups (FG) (22 purposively sampled HCP, mostly in leadership positions, six different professions). The FG were transcribed verbatim. We analyzed the transcripts for qualitative content analysis following Braun and Clarke (2013). Results: HCP described GS-influencing aspects at the macro, meso and micro levels. At the macro level, participants spoke about restrictions imposed by health insurers or difficulties in planning the post-inpatient setting. Regarding the meso level, HCP spoke of institutional structures and culture that facilitated the GSP. At the micro level, knowledge of the diagnosis, expected outcomes, and individual patient characteristics were mentioned as important to the rehabilitation process. It was important for HCP to be patient and empathetic, to endure negative emotions, to accept that patients need time to adjust to their new situation, and to ensure that they do not lose hope. Open communication and interprofessional collaboration helped overcome barriers in the GSP. Discussion: This paper shows the complex relationship between external (e.g., health insurers), emotional, and communication aspects. It calls for a comprehensive approach to optimizing the GSP, so that patients' experiences can be fully considered as a basis to identify the most appropriate care pathway.