Tools for medical interpreters
This guide is for Spanish ↔ English medical interpreters who work by phone (OPI) or video (VRI). I wrote it from what I use on my own shifts: what really helps, what gets in the way and what to watch with patient data.
At the end I explain where Terpside fits, the tool I built for my second monitor. Everything else is useful even if you never use it.
The basics: audio, connection and a private space
Before any software, what changes a call the most is hearing well and not dropping out.
- Headset
- Wired or USB, with a noise-reducing microphone. Wireless headsets can cut out or add delay right when someone reads a number.
- Connection
- Wired if you can. On wifi, stay close to the router with no downloads running.
- A free computer
- Close anything that competes for the processor or the graphics card, like games, video editors or virtual machines. A loaded computer shows in the audio and in any support tool.
- Space
- Quiet and private. Nobody else should hear the call or see your screen.
Notes are still the foundation
No tool replaces good note-taking. Numbers, doses, dates, times, phone numbers and drug names are the first things to write down, with your own symbols so you can write without stopping listening.
When something was not clear, ask for a repetition: that is part of the job, not a failure. And when the call ends, destroy your notes as your agency requires: they contain patient information.
Glossaries and references
Your own glossary per specialty (cardiology, orthopedics, mental health, pediatrics…) is worth more than any generic dictionary. Write down the words that made you hesitate and how you solved them.
Pay special attention to words with more than one possible translation depending on context: discharge can be alta or secreción; shot, inyección or vacuna; walker, andador or caminador. That is where a mistake goes unnoticed.
There are more words like these in our English–Spanish medical glossary: https://terpside.app/en/english-spanish-medical-glossary/
Between calls, MedlinePlus in Spanish from the U.S. National Library of Medicine has reliable explanations of conditions, tests and medications: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/
Live captions: a visual aid, not a substitute
Many interpreters keep Windows or Chrome live captions on screen so they do not miss a number. They help, but they were not made for interpreting: they rewrite the sentence while the person is talking, they do not separate who said what and they do not show a translation next to it.
If you use them, treat them as what they are: a second chance to read what you heard. What you interpret still comes from your ear and your notes.
According to their help pages, both process the audio on your computer without sending it to the cloud. Windows: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/use-live-captions-to-better-understand-audio-b52da59c-14b8-4031-aeeb-f6a47e6055df Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/10538231?hl=en
Privacy: what the patient says is health information
Everything said in a medical appointment is protected information. Before adding any tool to your workday, keep this in mind:
- Your agency
- Check your contract and its policies on support software and, if in doubt, ask. Patient data is still your responsibility.
- Nothing to the cloud
- Do not paste sentences from a call into web translators or chatbots. If a tool transcribes, it is better if it does so on your own computer.
- Screen sharing
- If you share your screen or record a meeting, make sure nothing from the call is visible.
- Recordings
- Do not record calls unless your agency says so in writing.
Where Terpside fits
Terpside is the tool I built for my second monitor. It listens only to the call audio (the microphone is never opened), waits for each person to finish speaking and shows the turn in large text with the translation underneath. When a word has more than one possible translation, the medical glossary flags it, and recognized doses, dates and phone numbers stay on screen for about a minute and a half.
Everything runs on your own Windows computer: nothing from the call leaves it. The window shows up black in screenshots and screen sharing, and there is no save button. It does not replace your judgment or your notes: it is a support.
You can try Pro free for up to 2 hours a day for 5 days, no account or card: https://terpside.app/en/trial/
Frequently asked questions
Can I use transcription tools during a medical call?
It depends on your contract and your agency's policies: check them and, if in doubt, ask. A tool that processes everything on your computer lowers the risk for patient data.
Do I need two monitors?
It is not required, but it helps a lot: the agency platform on one and your notes, glossary or a support tool on the other. A simple external monitor plugged into your laptop is enough.
Is it the same for phone and video?
The basics are: good audio, notes and a glossary. On video also mind the camera, the lighting and what is behind you, and keep anything with other patients' data off screen.
Do live captions send the audio to the internet?
No. Microsoft and Google state that Windows 11 and Chrome live captions process the audio on the device itself and that neither the audio nor the captions leave it (the links to their help pages are in the live captions section).
Try it on your calls
Free Pro trial: up to 2 hours a day for 5 days, no account or card. After that it stays on Free with 60 minutes a day.