Accommodating Limited English Proficient Spanish Speakers in Rural Hospitals

Hospital accreditation policies mandate adequate accommodation of Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients. Rural hospitals with limited resources face several barriers to providing such care. This study assesses strategies used by rural hospitals to provide care for LEP Spanish speakers. A self-administered survey was sent to 153 rural hospitals in Kansas and Missouri. The survey featured 10 items developed to assess LEP services demand, translation services, interpretation methods used, signage, satisfaction with provided services, barriers, and innovative methods of providing care. Forty-eight surveys (31.4 %) were returned. Hospitals with higher LEP demand were more likely to have translated documents; however, not all hospitals with high demand had key paperwork available in Spanish. Telephonic interpreting services, family members, and clinical staff were reported as primary methods of interpretation. Rural hospitals across the nation are facing the rapidly increasing LEP Latino population. This research provides important findings for future policies and interventions.