Alex Gonzalez is a registered nurse in the oncology unit at Salinas Valley Memorial Health System. SVMH is a public hospital in the United States of America that provides quality health services to patients of all ages throughout Monterey County, an agricultural hub where a quarter of the overall population are non-U.S. citizens and more than 40 percent are native Spanish speakers.It’s no wonder that when Gonzalez was trained on LanguageLine InSight, a video-interpreting solution that delivers on-demand access to professional linguists in 36 languages at the touch of a button, he thought the technology was heaven-sent.
“My job can be difficult, especially when you have to relate really critical information and there are families going through hard times, new diagnoses, or near-death experiences,” he said. “It’s extremely important to be able to communicate with patients in their own language.”
SVMH has deployed InSight, which also provides audio-only interpretation in more than 240 languages, throughout the hospital system to help serve limited-English proficient, deaf, and hard-of-hearing patients. Gonzalez also stated that he uses InSight to perform assessments, explain new medications, and get consent for surgery, among other vital tasks which involve communication with patients.
Dr. Rakesh Singh is the emergency room director at SVMH and another of the hospital’s enthusiastic InSight users.
“Time is critical for us in the emergency room,” Singh said. “Trusting in your healthcare team is critical. Communication is key. InSight is there for us when we need it.
“When people come to the emergency room, it’s one of the most stressful times of their lives. Not being able to communicate heightens that stress. Now our patients feel like they can connect with someone on the screen and get their point across. The interpreters understand the nuances involved. They’re also sensitive in a cultural nature. Cultural norms differ and they understand that, too.”
Singh says that InSight has allowed his team to “provide outstanding patient care.” and that he considers the service as “part of the healthcare team”.
InSight in the United Kingdom
Already Insight has helped numerous healthcare service throughout the United Kingdom, including many NHS foundations and hospitals. From children’s hospitals to private healthcare professionals, in Wales and in England, LanguageLine Solutions’ InSight Video Interpreting Service has delivered outstanding results.
For more than three decades, LanguageLine has worked with healthcare organisations to:
- Elevate patient satisfaction
- Improve health outcomes
- Increase efficiencies
- Reduce treatment time
- Lower readmission rates
- Mitigate risk
If you would like to receive a free assessment of how LanguageLine Solutions could help to overcome language barriers and engage with the community, please contact us on 0800 169 2879 or at enquiries@languageline.co.uk