ISO 21998:2020

Overview

ISO 21998:2020 - Interpreting services: Healthcare interpreting - Requirements and recommendations is an international standard that defines requirements and recommendations for healthcare interpreting in both spoken and signed communication. Published in 2020 (first edition) and developed by ISO/TC 37/SC 5, the document is intended for interpreting service providers (ISPs) and healthcare interpreters and aims to promote market transparency, clarify service expectations, and establish professional working conditions for safe, high‑quality healthcare interpreting.

Key topics and requirements

The standard covers terminology, professional competences, service delivery modes and provider responsibilities. Core topics include:

• Scope and terms: Definitions for interpreting, interpreter, healthcare interpreter, ISP, client, end user, distance interpreting, modes and modalities (e.g., consecutive, simultaneous, chuchotage, relay, sight translation).
• Healthcare interpreter competences: Competence areas listed include patient safety, linguistic proficiency, intercultural competence, interpersonal competence, technical competence, terminological research, healthcare knowledge, communicative and interpreting competence, and entrepreneurial competence.
• Qualifications and authorization: Guidance on qualifications, authorization and the role of ISPs and healthcare organizations in verifying competence.
• Service components: Provisions for linguistic assistance, selection of interpreting mode/modality (face‑to‑face and distance interpreting), and sight translation practices.
• Professional development: Continuing education and ongoing professional development expectations.
• Responsibilities: Duties of interpreting service providers and individual healthcare interpreters, including quality assurance and patient safety obligations.
• Wellbeing: Informative annex on self‑care and vicarious trauma for interpreters.

Practical applications

ISO 21998:2020 is directly applicable where accurate spoken or signed language mediation is required to address health‑related issues. Typical uses:

• Hospitals and clinics procuring interpreting services to ensure patient safety and informed consent.
• Interpreting service providers designing service contracts, quality assurance and training programs.
• Healthcare interpreter training programs structuring curricula around defined competences.
• Policy makers and healthcare administrators developing guidelines for linguistically and culturally appropriate care.
• Telehealth and distance interpreting platforms implementing mode and modality best practices.

Who should use this standard

• Healthcare interpreters and interpreter departments
• Interpreting service providers (in‑house or external)
• Healthcare organizations, policy makers and regulators
• Educators, trainers and professional associations

Related standards

• ISO 20539:2019 (source for many interpreting terms and definitions)

Using ISO 21998:2020 helps organizations and professionals deliver safe, consistent and ethically grounded healthcare interpreting services across spoken and signed languages.