What can hearing care professionals consider when appointments involve spoken-language interpreters?

Hearing care appointments provide an opportunity for clients to discuss the communication situations that matter most to them. Spoken-language interpreters may help facilitate these conversations when language barriers could affect understanding or participation. A small amount of preparation before and after the appointment may help support shared understanding and client participation.

In a recent International Journal of Audiology publication, my colleagues and I explored briefing and debriefing practices in hearing care appointments involving spoken-language interpreters.

The study addresses an area that has received little attention within audiology and suggests that structured briefing and debriefing may help support shared understanding between hearing care professionals (HCPs) and interpreters, with the goal of facilitating client participation in the appointment.

When working with spoken-language interpreters, HCPs may wish to consider the following:

Brief before the appointment

A short briefing may help clarify the purpose of the appointment and what is expected during the session. It may also provide an opportunity to identify any uncertainties before the client enters the conversation. Even a few minutes may help support a more coordinated appointment.

Develop a shared understanding of roles

The study highlighted that HCPs and interpreters may not always have the same understanding of their roles. Taking time to discuss expectations may help reduce uncertainty and support a more effective working relationship.

Support client participation

Interpreter-mediated appointments involve more than translating spoken words. They are clinical conversations in which clients should feel able to ask questions and express what matters to them. Allowing time for interpretation can help keep the focus on the client’s hearing care needs.

Debrief after the appointment

Debriefing may provide an opportunity to clarify uncertainties and reflect on what could support future appointments. Participants also described debriefing as an opportunity for mutual learning between HCPs and interpreters.

As HCPs continue to tailor services to the communication needs of individual clients, briefing and debriefing may offer a simple opportunity to support participation during interpreter-mediated appointments.

To learn more about this study, we invite you to read the full publication.

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Reference

Nisar, M., Nickbakht, M., Orlando, M., Kruger, J. L., Timmer, B., Hickson, L., … Dawes, P. (2026). “We can make awful mistakes”: exploring briefing and debriefing practices in hearing care appointments involving spoken language interpreters. International Journal of Audiology, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2026.2675571