Language Barriers Can Lead To Longer Hospital Stays and Readmission
Limited English proficiency Americans make up eight percent of the U.S. population. While healthcare interpreting solutions have made progressive strides, there is still a need for healthcare interpreting solutions for hundreds of thousands of hospitals in the U.S.
In a recent blog by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) on Latinos living with asthma, it finds that many Latinos aren't receiving adequate healthcare because of language, educational and economic barriers. These barriers, most specifically language, cause longer hospital stays and readmission.
Communication is an essential part of the healthcare process. Not only does it make the hospital visit run smoothly, it also builds trust. Furthermore, it is important for patient satisfaction, proper diagnosis, treatment and patient compliance. When a communication barrier is present without proper oral interpretation, it can result in misdiagnosis, readmission, a lower quality of care and increased medical errors.
Quality interpretation is sometimes substituted with the use of family or friends acting as conduits between healthcare personnel and the patient that is being treated. Not only is this practice often times lengthy, the information that is being relayed can be erroneous and medical terminology can be lost in translation. As a result, patients and doctors can become frustrated and the odds of misdiagnosis, readmission increase exponentially. This is especially true for children with non-English speaking parents or guardians who may not bring their children into health facilities until it is an extreme emergency because they are unable to effectively communicate with hospital employee; from registration to discharge. This cycle leads to higher emergency room visits, longer hospital stays, increased hospital spending and possibility of penalties.
Healthcare Interpreting Solutions
As many healthcare providers and healthcare facilities know, keeping readmission down is critical. Those hospitals that have recurring readmission can be penalized by Medicare. These penalties can amount to hefty fees.
Hospital personnel can diminish hospital stays and readmission by providing certified interpreters within their facilities. The use of interpreters not only has a social impact but an economical one as well.
In another study conducted by the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA), it was found that:
LEP patients who need but don't get interpreters are more likely than LEP patients who used interpreters and EP patients to:
Additionally, it was found that readmission rates for LEP patients who don't receive interpretation are 9.4% higher than those who have interpreters for admission and discharge.
What is VRI?
Video remote interpreting (VRI) is a video telecommunication service that employs devices such as web cameras or videophones to provide sign language or spoken language interpreting services. Many VRI companies, like Stratus Video Interpreting, provide on-demand services on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. This technology puts patients and doctors in contact with certified interpreters 24/7 without excessive wait times and provides a wide variety of languages and dialects including ASL.
Video remote interpreting (VRI) is considered a more efficient and economical solution to healthcare interpreting by Telemedicine Journal and e-Health due to shortened patient visit times, patient satisfaction and perceived privacy. Unlike face-to-face interpretation, patient fell more at ease to disclose sensitive information because of the physical absence of a third party viewer, since videos can be shut off or covered. Likewise, physicians feel more at ease knowing that they can contact an interpreter with the push of a button as opposed to waiting for a busy interpreter to travel to the place they are needed. These wait times can be especially frustrating to patients and physicians. Thus, lowering patient satisfaction and diminishing the trust that physicians have with on-call interpreters.
Interpreting services that are on demand and effective have been proven to decrease wait times, patient stays, readmission while increasing patient compliance, follow-ups and overall satisfaction. In turn, doctors can provide care for their patients without waiting for interpreters to show up, calls to be connected or trying to navigate through family interpreters who may relay false information.
As the U.S. cities across the country continue to see an influx in LEP individuals living and working in the community the need for quality and certified interpreters will raise as well. Hospitals can better prepare themselves by putting in place interpretation programs that work in conjunction with staff and patients to provide a better quality of healthcare.
Sources:
http://www.edf.org/blog/2014/04/22/why-latinos-are-disproportionately-affected-asthma-and-what-we-can-do
http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/presentations/2010_34.pdf
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/resources/specialtopics/lep/providinghealthcaretoleppdf.pdf
In a recent blog by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) on Latinos living with asthma, it finds that many Latinos aren't receiving adequate healthcare because of language, educational and economic barriers. These barriers, most specifically language, cause longer hospital stays and readmission.
Communication is an essential part of the healthcare process. Not only does it make the hospital visit run smoothly, it also builds trust. Furthermore, it is important for patient satisfaction, proper diagnosis, treatment and patient compliance. When a communication barrier is present without proper oral interpretation, it can result in misdiagnosis, readmission, a lower quality of care and increased medical errors.
Quality interpretation is sometimes substituted with the use of family or friends acting as conduits between healthcare personnel and the patient that is being treated. Not only is this practice often times lengthy, the information that is being relayed can be erroneous and medical terminology can be lost in translation. As a result, patients and doctors can become frustrated and the odds of misdiagnosis, readmission increase exponentially. This is especially true for children with non-English speaking parents or guardians who may not bring their children into health facilities until it is an extreme emergency because they are unable to effectively communicate with hospital employee; from registration to discharge. This cycle leads to higher emergency room visits, longer hospital stays, increased hospital spending and possibility of penalties.
Healthcare Interpreting Solutions
As many healthcare providers and healthcare facilities know, keeping readmission down is critical. Those hospitals that have recurring readmission can be penalized by Medicare. These penalties can amount to hefty fees.
Hospital personnel can diminish hospital stays and readmission by providing certified interpreters within their facilities. The use of interpreters not only has a social impact but an economical one as well.
In another study conducted by the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA), it was found that:
LEP patients who need but don't get interpreters are more likely than LEP patients who used interpreters and EP patients to:
- Have poor or fair self-reported understanding of diagnosis and treatment plan
- Wish healthcare provider explained things better
Additionally, it was found that readmission rates for LEP patients who don't receive interpretation are 9.4% higher than those who have interpreters for admission and discharge.
What is VRI?
Video remote interpreting (VRI) is a video telecommunication service that employs devices such as web cameras or videophones to provide sign language or spoken language interpreting services. Many VRI companies, like Stratus Video Interpreting, provide on-demand services on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. This technology puts patients and doctors in contact with certified interpreters 24/7 without excessive wait times and provides a wide variety of languages and dialects including ASL.
Video remote interpreting (VRI) is considered a more efficient and economical solution to healthcare interpreting by Telemedicine Journal and e-Health due to shortened patient visit times, patient satisfaction and perceived privacy. Unlike face-to-face interpretation, patient fell more at ease to disclose sensitive information because of the physical absence of a third party viewer, since videos can be shut off or covered. Likewise, physicians feel more at ease knowing that they can contact an interpreter with the push of a button as opposed to waiting for a busy interpreter to travel to the place they are needed. These wait times can be especially frustrating to patients and physicians. Thus, lowering patient satisfaction and diminishing the trust that physicians have with on-call interpreters.
Interpreting services that are on demand and effective have been proven to decrease wait times, patient stays, readmission while increasing patient compliance, follow-ups and overall satisfaction. In turn, doctors can provide care for their patients without waiting for interpreters to show up, calls to be connected or trying to navigate through family interpreters who may relay false information.
As the U.S. cities across the country continue to see an influx in LEP individuals living and working in the community the need for quality and certified interpreters will raise as well. Hospitals can better prepare themselves by putting in place interpretation programs that work in conjunction with staff and patients to provide a better quality of healthcare.
Sources:
http://www.edf.org/blog/2014/04/22/why-latinos-are-disproportionately-affected-asthma-and-what-we-can-do
http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/presentations/2010_34.pdf
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/resources/specialtopics/lep/providinghealthcaretoleppdf.pdf
