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Impact of Preferred Written Language in Patients Discharged With Bronchiolitis From a Children's Hospital
Kristyn N Jeffries1,2, Allison Mundy3, Dustin E Williford1,2
1University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Insights
Patients with bronchiolitis who preferred languages other than English experienced longer hospital stays. Disparities were found in providing discharge instructions in preferred languages, highlighting a need for improved health communication.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Health Services Research
- Linguistic Health Disparities
Background:
- Effective communication is crucial for patient care and outcomes.
- Disparities in healthcare access and quality persist among non-English speaking populations.
- Understanding language preferences in written materials can impact patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in length of stay and readmission rates for pediatric patients with bronchiolitis based on preferred written language.
- To evaluate the adherence to providing written discharge instructions in patients' preferred languages.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 384 pediatric patients (0-2 years) with bronchiolitis admitted to two children's hospitals.
- Exclusion criteria included prematurity, complex chronic conditions, or ICU stay.
- Manual chart review was used to determine preferred written language and the language of discharge instructions.
Main Results:
- Patients preferring languages other than English had a significantly longer length of stay (37.9 vs 34.3 hours, P < .05).
- No significant difference was observed in 7-day unplanned readmissions between language groups (limited power for readmissions).
- All English and Spanish preferred patients received instructions in their preferred language; other language groups did not.
Conclusions:
- Non-English preferred language is associated with increased length of stay in pediatric bronchiolitis patients.
- Significant disparities exist in providing written discharge instructions in preferred languages beyond English and Spanish.
- Addressing language barriers in discharge instructions is essential for equitable pediatric care.
Objectives:
This study aimed to identify differences in length of stay and readmission in patients admitted with bronchiolitis based on preferred written language. A secondary aim was to assess adherence to providing written discharge instructions in patients' preferred language.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, we included 384 patients aged 0 to 2 years discharged from 2 children's hospitals with bronchiolitis from May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022; patients were excluded for history of prematurity, complex chronic condition, or ICU stay during the study period. A manual chart review was performed to determine preferred written language and language of written discharge instructions.
Results:
Patients preferring a written language other than English had a longer length of stay compared with English-preferring patients (37.9 vs 34.3 hours, P < .05), but there was no significant difference in unplanned 7-day readmissions. All patients who preferred English and Spanish received written discharge instructions in their preferred written language; no patients with other preferred languages did.
Conclusions:
Patients who preferred a written language other than English had a longer length of stay than those preferring English but there was no difference in 7-day readmissions, though power for readmissions was limited. The study also identified significant disparities in the provision of written discharge instructions in languages other than English and Spanish.
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