Breaking Down Language Barriers: A Quality Improvement Project for Patients With Limited English Proficiency.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Patient communication
• Health equity

Background:

• The Affordable Care Act mandates language assistance for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) in federally funded health programs.
• A needs assessment revealed a gap between nursing staff knowledge and hospital policies regarding LEP patient communication.
• Ensuring effective communication is crucial for patient safety and equitable care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance communication strategies for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP).
• To address the identified disconnect between nursing knowledge and hospital policy concerning LEP patient care.
• To implement and evaluate a quality improvement initiative focused on interpreter services.

Main Methods:

• The study was conducted in two medical intensive care units at a tertiary academic medical center.
• An audit assessed LEP patient numbers, nurse documentation of interpreter use, and identified areas for improvement.
• A needs assessment and educational intervention were implemented, with a post-education questionnaire evaluating effectiveness.

Main Results:

• All surveyed nurses (61%) acknowledged their legal and ethical duty to use medical interpreters for LEP patients.
• However, only 35% of nurses reported consistently documenting medical interpreter use.
• Key barriers to interpreter access included lack of knowledge on how to obtain services and time constraints.

Conclusions:

• Ongoing education and regular audits are effective in improving the utilization of medical interpreters.
• Further research is recommended to optimize communication and improve health outcomes for LEP patients.
• Quality improvement initiatives are vital for bridging gaps in care for vulnerable patient populations.