Quick and accurate communication is imperative in hospital settings.
A Somali man rushes into the emergency room with his young son, who has fallen from the balcony of their second-story apartment. Although the boy has no visible injuries, his father is concerned he may have a concussion and internal bleeding. He tries frantically to communicate with emergency room personnel using gestures and the few English phrases he has learned since moving to the United States six months earlier.
The triage nurse quickly places a video call to a Somali interpreter, who can relay the man’s concerns to her. Within minutes, the boy undergoes a CAT scan and receives appropriate treatment and monitoring. He can return home with his father later that evening.
Without video remote interpreting, this scenario could have played out much differently. While other industries demand to see a return on investment in hard dollars, the ROI of language services in healthcare is often measured by the absence of something.
Here are 7 ways healthcare professionals measure the impact of their investment in language services.
- Fewer Scheduling Errors
Patients with limited English proficiency are more likely to miss appointments or show up at the wrong time because of breakdowns in communication with office staff. Since physicians’ schedules are set well in advance, these scheduling errors can add up to hours of wasted time and lost revenue. Over-the-phone health care interpreter services help to bridge language gaps, reducing scheduling errors.
- Shorter Patient Wait Times
Language barriers can slow down the registration process, increasing patient wait times and reducing patient satisfaction. Research from healthcare review site Vitals found that average wait times for physicians across the country ranged from 16-23 minutes and wait times longer than 20 minutes have a direct impact on patient satisfaction.
Using video remote interpreting to communicate with patients who have limited English proficiency can reduce patient wait times and increase patient flow, contributing to higher revenue and improved patient satisfaction.
- Fewer Medical Errors
When lives are on the line and every second counts, miscommunication can contribute to misdiagnoses or even life-threatening medical errors.
The use of a professional healthcare interpreter greatly reduces this risk. A study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine found that nonprofessional interpreters, such as family or friends, had a 22 percent error rate compared to professionals, who had a 2 percent error rate. Of the 1,900 errors noted in the study, 18 percent of them could have had serious consequences to a patient’s health.
- Improved Outcomes
Hospital discharge instructions can be confusing enough for a person who speaks the same language as their physician. Language barriers make it even more difficult to follow directions. When patients understand how to properly care for themselves upon their release, they tend to have better health outcomes.
Translating patient education materials, discharge instructions, and other vital documents that are critical to a patient’s care enables patients to take responsibility for their recovery.
- Reduced readmission Rates
Preventable readmissions have become a huge frustration for hospitals around the country. Several factors put patients at a higher risk for readmission, but language barriers certainly play a role. When patients can follow physicians’ orders, they are significantly less likely to be readmitted for complications.
- Reduced Bad Debt
Patients who understand their financial obligations and insurance coverage are more likely to pay their bills in a timely manner, reducing bad debt.
- Higher Patient Satisfaction
Patients with limited English proficiency report lower satisfaction rates compared to English-speaking patients, according to a report published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Maximizing Your Returns
A hospital setting has many touch points with the potential for miscommunications, from the reception desk and emergency room to the billing office. Hospital staff need to be ready for anything and for anyone who may walk through their doors next. Over-the-phone healthcare interpreters may be sufficient for addressing scheduling questions, but other situations demand face-to-face interaction. Having an on-site interpreter available at a moment’s notice isn’t always practical or possible, especially when you see patients who speak less common languages.
Working with a language services provider that offers a full range of solutions, from phone interpreting to video remote interpreting, allows you to keep costs in check while maximizing the benefits to your patients and your bottom line.
About LanguageLine®
LanguageLine has been the world leader in innovative language-access solutions since 1982. The company sets the global standard for phone, video, and onsite interpreting, as well as translation of the written word. LanguageLine is trusted by more than 30,000 clients to enable communication with the limited English proficient, Deaf, and Hard of Hearing communities. LanguageLine provides the industry’s fastest and most dependable access to more than 35,000 professional linguists in 290-plus languages — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Please do not hesitate to contact us.
