Social Entrepreneur´s Profile

Triaphon

Ten percent of emergency patients who need acute medical help in Germany have language barriers. One third of all violent attacks in hospitals are due to 
communication difficulties. With Triaphon, Lisanne Knop and Korbinian Fischer want to change that. 

Triaphon is a non-profit organization that aims to improve medical care for patients with language barriers. On-site interpreters cannot be booked separately for all the many small situations in everyday hospital life. In some cases, this has serious consequences. That can’t be right, Lisanne Knop thought at the time. Her colleague Korbinian Fischer felt the same way. So the two decided to found Triaphon – a 24-hour telephone language mediation service for clinics. 

»We have noticed that the number of callers is increasing. Early on in the spread, we heard back through our language mediators that corona was becoming a bigger and bigger issue. We then prepared the language mediators with a special glossary and Corona practice calls. In these calls, we simulate and practice unannounced situations from everyday hospital life. Especially during this difficult time, we want to support people with language barriers, which is why we created the Corona emergency assistance program. Heavily affected organizations can use Triaphon free of charge. According to current information, it can be assumed that at least half a million patients with language barriers will have to be treated by the end of the pandemic. On-site interpreters are increasingly being eliminated due to infection control. There is a huge strain on the system and this should not be exacerbated by language barriers – it is important to us that all people have a voice in healthcare.«