Lowering the language barrier in an acute psychiatric setting

Area of Science:

• Healthcare communication
• Patient safety
• Health equity

Background:

• Effective communication is crucial for patient safety in acute care settings.
• Patients with non-English-speaking backgrounds (NESB) and low English proficiency often face communication barriers.
• Existing communication strategies may not adequately meet the needs of diverse patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a training and policy strategy aimed at enhancing communication opportunities for NESB patients with limited English proficiency.
• To assess the impact of the intervention on the utilization of interpreter services in an acute inpatient unit.

Main Methods:

• A pre- and post-intervention study design was employed.
• Data collection included staff multilingual skills surveys, patient demographics, and preferred language (LOTE) data.
• Intervention involved staff training and policy promotion for interpreter use, with English proficiency assessed via census questions.

Main Results:

• 33% of admissions were NESB patients, with 19% preferring a language other than English (LOTE).
• Staff reported proficiency in only 7 of 11 LOTEs spoken by patients; 29% lacked clinical proficiency.
• Interpreter bookings and duration significantly increased post-intervention, indicating improved communication opportunities.

Conclusions:

• A standardized training package and interpreter use policy effectively improved communication for NESB patients in acute care.
• Addressing language needs is critical to prevent misdiagnosis and ensure appropriate treatment.
• Direct patient proficiency assessment revealed a greater need for interpreter services than previously reported.