A Hmong-speaking patient attends with several carious teeth, accompanied by his adult daughter. He does not speak English. How should you communicate?

Correct answer: C. Arrange a professional interpreter service

• A. Family members, and especially adult children, are not appropriate interpreters. They may omit or soften information, may have their own views about the treatment, and their presence compromises the patient's confidentiality and autonomy. Minor children must never be used.
• B. Gestures and written English do not provide the patient with the information needed to consent, and written material is useless if the patient is not literate in that language.
• C. CORRECT. A trained PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETER is the standard of care and a legal requirement for meaningful access under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557 of the ACA. Professional interpreters are accurate, neutral, bound by confidentiality, and familiar with medical terminology — all of which are prerequisites for genuinely informed consent.
• D. A translation app may help with simple wayfinding, but it cannot be relied on for clinical history, risks and alternatives, or consent.

Note: If the patient specifically requests that a family member interpret after being offered a professional service, document that request — but always offer the professional option first.