Language Barriers in Medicine

The number of foreign-born Americans is steadily increasing, and this growth is paralleled by an increase in linguistic diveristy. Over 20% of Americans speak a language other than English at home and 8.6% of Americans have Limited English Proficiency (LEP), so it is important that healthcare settings offer multilingual patients the opportunity to communicate in the language they feel most comfortable with.

Health disparities for patients with LEP are very common because healthcare systems are not properly equipped to cater to their needs. Patients are more likely to misunderstand medication and treatment instructions, and readmission rates are higher for individuals with LEP. These patients are likely to have incomplete documentation and may not be able to provide informed consent. In addition, physicians risk misdiagnosis and mistreatment if patients do not have the opportunity to clearly communicate their symptoms and concerns.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care established laws to ensure that patients with LEP are given access to qualified medical interpreters. However, there is no nationwide reimbursement plan for these services as each state is given discretion over it. Some states with the highest incidence of LEP do not have an established strategy, placing the burden on hosptitals and increasing the chance that these services will not be properly provided. In addition, it can be difficult to find services for less common languages and many physicians turn to video or phone visits. This can create a larger communication gap as it is harder to pick up on nonverbal cues and some patients may not know how to interact with the technology. Overall, these virtual visits are not as effective as in-person ones.

A commonly suggested solution is having family or friends translate for patients with LEP, but this introduces many potential problems. These people will likely be unfamiliar with medical terminology, increasing the chance of miscommunication. They will also be more likely to add their own personal input and not properly communicate what the patient and physician would like. Having to communicate difficult news to loved ones can damage their relationship and take a toll on their mental health.  

To mitigate the negative effects of miscommunication, Caralyst will allow patients to search for physicians that are able to provide adequate interpretor services or are literate in their preffered language. It can be incredibly difficult, especially when a person struggles with English, to research what services are avaliable and contact different physicians' offices.