Association of Non-English Language Preference on ICU Admissions via Emergency Departments: Evidence From a Large...

Patients with non-English language preference and English-speaking patients may have different critical care outcomes. It is important to examine how both patient groups compare in critical care admissions via the emergency department because patients with non-English language preference can be frequent users of emergency department services. The objective of this study was to examine the association between non-English language preference status and intensive care unit admissions via the emergency department.

This study included hospitalized patients between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022, at a large multi-specialty health care organization in the United States Midwest. We used propensity score matching to ensure that patients with non-English language preference and English-speaking patients were comparable across observed characteristics. This study examined the probability of intensive care unit admissions from the emergency department as the primary outcome using logistic regression and examined intensive care unit and hospital length of stay as secondary outcomes using negative binomial models for patients with non-English language preference and English-speaking patients.

Patients with non-English language preference had 99% higher odds of being admitted to the intensive care unit via the emergency department compared with similar English-speaking patients (odds ratio = 1.986; 95% CI, 1.627-2.424; P < .001). There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in intensive care unit length of stay and hospital length of stay among the patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit via the emergency department directly.

There were differences in how patients with non-English language preference were admitted to the intensive care unit via the emergency department. The results from this study can be used to inform initiatives aimed at improving access to care for patients with non-English language preference.