Changes in language services use by US pediatricians

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Medical Practice Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Access to language services is crucial for patient safety and mitigating language barriers in healthcare.
• This study investigates trends in language service utilization among US pediatricians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare language service use by US pediatricians in 2004 and 2010.
• To examine how pediatrician, practice, and state characteristics influenced language service use in 2010.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of national survey data from 2004 (n=698) and 2010 (n=683) pediatricians.
• Focus on postresidency pediatricians serving patients with limited English proficiency (LEP).
• Comparison of communication methods including family members, staff, physicians, formal interpreters (professional, telephone), and translated materials; logistic regression used.

Main Results:

• A decrease in reliance on family members for communication with LEP patients was observed (69.6% to 57.1%).
• Formal interpreter use increased from 2004 (49.7%) to 2010 (55.8%), driven by telephone interpreter adoption.
• Pediatricians in states with reimbursement for language services showed significantly higher odds of formal interpreter use (OR 2.34).

Conclusions:

• US pediatricians' adoption of appropriate language services has shown only modest improvement since 2004.
• Expanding reimbursement policies for language services may be a key strategy to increase formal interpreter utilization.