| Description |
Effective communication is a vital component in providing quality healthcare. Communication between patients and their healthcare providers has been shown to have substantial effects on health outcomes. According to the 2012 U.S Census 5% of the U.S population who identifies as Hispanic or Latino reports having a low English proficiency (LEP). Utah, along with many states with a sizeable Hispanic/Latino population, has only a small fraction of healthcare professionals that speak Spanish with sufficient proficiency for effective communication with LEP Spanish-speaking patients. It is the goal of this project to first, demonstrate how pertinent effective communication between Spanish speaking patients and healthcare providers is to patient satisfaction and health outcomes, and secondly, to analyze health care policies addressing language services in healthcare settings and underlying ideologies which may be influencing the implementation of said policies in various regions of the U.S. The research in this project focuses on 1) analyzes policies that address language services in healthcare settings across the U.S. 2) reviews literature that discusses the ways certain biases may affect language policies in the U.S. and 3) reports the results of an anonymous questionnaire answered by patients and healthcare providers on these issues. The questionnaire was distributed to patients and providers of a free public clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah. The questionnaire was tailored for each group to provide insight into the perceived effectiveness of communication from their respective perspectives. The literary review shows that federal and state policies regarding language services in healthcare in the U.S are frequently inconsistent, and ill-defined. The state policies vary greatly between one another, as well as between varying healthcare institutions. The U.S healthcare system is presently being reexamined and remodeled. As the Hispanic/Latino demographic in the U.S. continues to grow, it is imperative that Spanish language policies are likewise reexamined. Recognizing the potential biases influencing the implementation of these policies will provide insight into the rationale behind existing policies, and present novel approaches to be taken in the future to better communication, and improve healthcare outcomes for LEP Spanish-speaking patients. |
