[hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Imagine being in a country far from home. You wake up one morning with severe stomach cramps. You find your way to a walk-in clinic, but no one speaks your language – nor can you understand theirs.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]This scenario happens daily for many people in the United States who experience language barriers in healthcare facilities. Discover ways to address inequities in healthcare due to language barriers.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]The Impact on Patient Care[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]According to a [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7201401/” target=”_blank”]systematic review[/hen-ui-link] published in the Oman Journal, language barriers can adversely impact patient care and lead to bias, misinformation, confusion, and physical harm in the following ways:[/hen-ui-text]

• Difficulty with medications: Studies have found that among patients who did not speak the local language, nearly 35% experienced confusion about how to use their medication, and almost 16% suffered a bad reaction to the medication due to not understanding the proper usage.
• Access to healthcare: According to research, more than 65% of patients who did not speak the local language experienced barriers to healthcare, including 20% who did not seek healthcare services because of fear of misunderstanding healthcare providers.
• Adverse health events: Language barriers led to detectable physical harm in just over 49% of patients and moderate temporary harm in nearly 47% of patients, as reported by one study.

[hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Advantages of Bilingual Healthcare Professionals[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Research from [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8697718/” target=”_blank”]Nursing Managemen[/hen-ui-link]t has shown that bilingual healthcare professionals and effective interpreter services increase patient health and satisfaction. Bilingual healthcare professionals and interpreters help improve healthcare outcomes by [hen-ui-link href=”/resources//soft-skills-for-successful-nurses/”]facilitating communication[/hen-ui-link] and bridging cultural gaps between patients and providers.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The study author recommends that healthcare organizations help bilingual staff members become trained and certified as medical interpreters. Another recommendation is to prioritize hiring staff who speak the languages of the patient population. Both of these strategies can maximize understanding of diagnoses and instructions for care.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Strategies to Address Language Barriers in Healthcare[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]In 1 out of 5 U.S. households, the occupants mainly speak a language other than English, according to the [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/12/languages-we-speak-in-united-states.html” target=”_blank”]U.S. Census Bureau[/hen-ui-link]. Strategies for overcoming language barriers in healthcare, facilitating communication, and improving healthcare outcomes include:[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Language Access Programs[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]These programs provide in-person interpreters at the medical facility and telephone or technology-based interpreter services. Whether hired by the organization or contracted, interpreters are trained in different languages and healthcare terms. They also adhere to a code of ethics that requires patient confidentiality.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Healthcare organizations can also offer written materials in several languages to serve their patients.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Multicultural Training[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]In addition to interpreters who receive multicultural training, healthcare staff can undergo similar training. Multicultural training teaches skills like observing patients’ body language, using culturally specific phrasing, and understanding cultural norms around healthcare.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The [hen-ui-link href=”https://ccnm.thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/” target=”_blank”]U.S. Department of Health & Human Services[/hen-ui-link] offers e-learning in culturally competent nursing care and a self-directed training course in culturally competent care for physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Patient Advocates[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Patient advocates provide services that help eliminate barriers to healthcare, including serving as the voice of patients who speak limited or no English. Nonprofit organizations, such as the [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.patientadvocate.org/” target=”_blank”]Patient Advocate Foundation[/hen-ui-link], offer case management services in a variety of different languages, free of charge, to patients with chronic conditions and debilitating diseases.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Bilingual Medical Documentation[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Stronger communication leads to better health outcomes. Bilingual medical documentation, such as electronic health records accessible to non-English speakers, can help break down language barriers in healthcare.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]For example, an American Medical Informatics Association patient survey of Spanish speakers found that [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7651979/” target=”_blank”]72% of respondents[/hen-ui-link] believed that stronger relationships between patients and healthcare providers would develop with communication via bilingual English-Spanish online patient portals.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Collaboration with Community Organizations[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Community organizations typically offer educational resources to overcome language barriers in healthcare and create culturally competent practices. The American Hospital Association, for example, offers information on [hen-ui-link href=”https://equity.aha.org/health-equity-transformation-model-literature-overview” target=”_blank”]health equity transformation[/hen-ui-link] and [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.aha.org/ahahret-guides/2013-06-18-becoming-culturally-competent-health-care-organization” target=”_blank”]cultural competency[/hen-ui-link] for hospitals and healthcare systems. Recommendations include linguistically competent care development and strengthening community partnerships.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Translation Laws & Regulations in U.S. Healthcare[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Federal law requires healthcare providers who receive federal funding to offer interpretation services to patients with limited English proficiency.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Interpretation services must be free of charge to patients, regardless of whether or not the healthcare organization receives reimbursement from the government. Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Programs can apply for federal matching funds for language services.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]All U.S. states have enacted language access laws as of 2019. Every state has at least three linguistically appropriate healthcare provisions, and California has more than 250 provisions addressing language barriers.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]The Future of Language in Healthcare[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Physicians, nurses, and other medical staff can become culturally and linguistically competent to help overcome language barriers to healthcare.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Equal access for all patients is possible when organizations use interpreters and patient advocates, prioritize bilingual staffing, provide bilingual patient records, and undergo multicultural training.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-accordion variant=”no-background”] [hen-ui-accordion-item title=”Sources”] [hen-ui-text-stack gap=”sm”] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Ochoa A, et al. [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7651979/” target=”_blank”]Patient and provider perspectives on the potential value and use of a bilingual online patient portal in a Spanish-speaking safety-net population[/hen-ui-link]. (2017). NIH[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Samshi H, et al. [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7201401/” target=”_blank”]Implications of Language Barriers for Healthcare: A Systematic Review[/hen-ui-link]. (2020). NIH[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Squires A, et al. [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8697718/” target=”_blank”]Strategies for overcoming language barriers in healthcare[/hen-ui-link]. (2018). NIH[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-link href=”https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/12/languages-we-speak-in-united-states.html” target=”_blank”]What Languages Do We Speak in the United States?[/hen-ui-link] (2022). U.S. Census Bureau[/hen-ui-text] [/hen-ui-text-stack] [/hen-ui-accordion-item][/hen-ui-accordion][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Page Last Reviewed September 7, 2023[/hen-ui-text]