Interventional Cultural and Language Assistance Program: Associations between Cultural and Linguistic Factors and...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient Experience
• Cultural Competency in Healthcare

Background:

• Improving healthcare quality requires addressing language and cultural nuances for all patients.
• The National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) recommend ongoing assessments for quality improvement.
• The Interventional Cultural and Language Assistance Program (ICLAP) was developed to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the language assistance characteristics and needs of patients receiving outpatient PET/CT imaging.
• To examine the relationship between patient demographics, language assistance, communication, and satisfaction with care.
• To identify unmet needs for culturally and linguistically sensitive services among cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional needs assessment survey was conducted.
• 564 consecutive patients receiving outpatient PET/CT imaging participated.
• The survey included patients in the five most prevalent languages in New York City: English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic.

Main Results:

• Race, ethnicity, and birthplace were associated with patient satisfaction.
• Language assistance and communication characteristics significantly influenced patient satisfaction.
• Cultural beliefs also played a role in patients' overall satisfaction with care.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant unmet need for culturally and linguistically sensitive healthcare services.
• Addressing these needs is crucial for improving the quality of care for diverse patient populations.
• Healthcare providers should integrate cultural and linguistic considerations into continuous quality improvement efforts.