Although the latest legislation reinforces healthcare’s moral obligation to provide language services for non-English-speaking patients to reduce discrimination, understanding the big picture on why it matters is integral to increasing compliance. As the song so aptly goes, “It’s always been a matter of trust.”
Speaking to patients in their native tongue creates an enormous opportunity to build trust between clinicians and linguistically challenged populations, which represent approximately 21.6% of the U.S. population. A study by the Duke Center for Personalization Health Care found that “physician-patient relationships can have profound positive and negative implications on healthcare ... correlating to improved patient outcomes.”
Indeed, the top two variables in the Duke checklist that most impact the physician-patient relationship include: speech ability or language articulation, and foreign language spoken. Racial or cultural differences are also cited. Another study by the National Institutes of Health stresses that “physician-patient communication encompasses the verbal and nonverbal interactions that form the basis for the doctor-patient relationship,” adding that “improvement … can result in better patient care and helps patients adapt to illness and treatment.”
Additionally, the NIH study notes that knowledge of communication strategies can “decrease stress on physicians” when “delivering bad news, dealing with patients’ emotions, and sharing decision making, particularly around issues of informed consent and when medical information is extremely complex.”
On a macro level, a large part of trust is simply being able to communicate with another human being, feeling heard and understood, and understanding what is said in return – which is good for everyone involved. Building on this across the limited English proficient (LEP) patient’s health journey is a great way to solidify trust.
What does this look like? Think EVERY interaction that impacts a patient’s engagement with your health system. This includes marketing, intake paperwork, scheduling, pre-visit planning and educational materials, transportation, appointments and digital reminders, discharge or patient handoff, payments, tests, pharmacy, post-care support (e.g., in-home care), referrals, surveys, and telehealth.
Taking on the patient journey
For most healthcare organizations, translation and interpreting services typically happen in silos – if at all. An American Medical Association study found that 43% of non-native speakers who were hospitalized communicated without an interpreter during admissions and 40% lacked linguistics support after admission.
With so much data and legislation defending use of linguistics for LEP patients, what gives? For starters, most healthcare organizations account for language solutions as an un-reimbursable line item expense. Studies have found that interpreters cost healthcare facilities roughly $279 per patient per year. Given that 20%+ of an organization’s patients may be LEP, it’s not hard to see how this can quickly add up.
Leveraging artificial intelligence
One cost-effective way to go broad and deep with language services is to judicially deploy AI solutions, especially when conveying non-emergent information like appointment updates or medication refills. On average, according to the Slator 2024 Interpreting Technology and AI Report, machine translation costs are half that of today’s live options, at $0.10 per word versus $0.22 for human translation.
AI also increases the bandwidth of live interpreters, especially given the current shortage of resources. It can serve both as a tool to reduce human errors related to terminology, coding and more, and in training, to accelerate time to certification. Administrators can realize similar benefits, with AI providing valuable data insights on an organization’s LEP population, helping to drive business strategies and metrics.
Ultimately, these types of AI interventions should help to preserve and improve patient-clinician relationships rather than disrupt them. Overcoming language barriers is foundational to becoming more culturally aware and responsive, and is a key driver to expand patient pools, including for drug trials. While healthcare organizations are rightly concerned about errors and bias, as the industry matures and AI datasets grow and become more accurate, these issues are expected to auto self-correct.
At GLOBO, we ultimately see language solutions as a communication and interpretation challenge as opposed to simply translating words accurately. We believe higher level communication is empathic and even transcends language and cultural diversity. In this sense, leveraging AI to support every patient’s health and well-being isn’t just a nice “to do,” rather it is a “must do'' to improve trust, human connection, and better outcomes.
Want to learn more about how to effectively integrate language solutions across your patient’s health journey? See our infographic here. At GLOBO, we understand the complexity, scale and importance of successfully managing a language support program. Request a demo with one of our language access experts.
About the Author
Dipak Patel is CEO of GLOBO Language Solutions, a B2B provider of translation, interpretation, and technology services for multiple industries. Previously, Patel spent 20-plus years in corporate healthcare leadership roles. The son of immigrants, he understands the significance of eliminating language barriers to improve healthcare equity.