The Value of Bilingual/Multilingual Medical Staff in the Healthcare Service Industry

By Ken Zwerdling on May 01, 2012

Being able to speak, read and write more than one language fluently is a skill desired by many employers today. Healthcare in the United States is currently one of the top industries in need of bilingual workers. For example, the report by researchers at The George Washington University with support from the California Endowment studying communication between medical staff and patients who speak a language other than English, found challenges for the hospital to effectively use bilingual/ multilingual medical staff. Because of these challenges, often there was miscommunication and even malpractice. There are many advantages for hospitals across the country to provide quality medical staff and professional language services to patients. For example:
 

Assurance of a Quality Treatment Experience

There are times when healthcare service providers encounter problems associated with patients of limited English proficiency (LEP). When giving instructions for taking medication, having conversations with family members, gathering medical history, and sharing information on diagnosis, or in the emergency room where an immediate and appropriate judgment on treatment must be made, often times, hospitals utilize a volunteer interpreter, an ad hoc interpreter,  the telephone language line, or even mobile computer technology.  There is a real risk of critical information being lost in translations if the interpreter used is not qualified and proficient in medical standards and terminology. Therefore, any hospital that finds itself needing language services on a daily or weekly basis should be more proactive in overcoming the language barriers and thereby increase bilingual/ multilingual accessibility for patients to ensure quality medical service.    
 

Effective Communication and Sense of Comfort

Effective communication between doctors, nurses, clinicians, and patients is a critical component of providing high quality care. - Click To Tweet

When trying to comfort patient anxiety during the treatment process, it is very helpful for someone, especially professional medical staff, to speak the same language as the patient. Clearly, people in any situation are more at ease when they can express concerns in a native tongue, not to mention less embarrassment in discussing openly and honestly to doctors and nurses about any current or private problems without third party involvement. Quality of healthcare is improved when the overall patient experience is within a comfortable environment and where communication isn’t a challenge or barrier.  The results are obvious:  patients will be more apt to return to the healthcare provider where comfort and communication were highest and thus establishing a long relationship.
 

Additional Support

After care is one of the most critical processes in recovery. And a patient’s timely recovery may depend on how thoroughly the at-home instructions are understood and followed. Bilingual or multilingual hospital staff play very important supportive roles when speaking a patient’s native language and can point out any useful directions that could help the patient recover more efficiently and safely. In addition, when it comes to billing, financial concerns, and social assistance, bilingual or multilingual in-house staff is advantageous and becomes incredible at facilitating communication to reduce patient complaints. 

Because healthcare is a service industry, patients assume the role of customer. As such, it is important to understand the patient lifestyle, to communicate and recognize individual demands and finally to satisfy expectations. Right now, hospitals across the country use various resources to address the patient language needs. It is critical that hospitals take a proactive approach to learn more about their patients and how bilingual/multilingual services can be a vital RESOURCE and PARTNER in providing the best healthcare.