Interpreter service helps care quality, report says
Access to interpreter services — an area that often falls under the purview of access management — improves the quality of care and reduces the likelihood of medication errors, according to a recent survey examining language barriers in health care settings.
The report, released by the Boston-based Access Project, said 27% of those who needed but failed to get an interpreter said they didn’t understand the instructions for taking their medications, compared with 2% who either got an interpreter or didn’t need one. Among those who reported needing help to pay for their medical care, 54% of those who needed but didn’t get an interpreter said staff never asked if they needed financial assistance.
Among respondents who reported having unpaid bills or being in debt to the hospital where they received care, 40% of those who needed an interpreter but did not get one said they would not seek care at the facility in the future because of their debt, compared to 26% who needed and got an interpreter, the report states.
The federal government provides matching funds under Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to pay for interpreter services, but only five states exercise that option, the report said. Those states include Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, Utah, and Washington.
The Access Project is a program of the Center for Community Health Research and Action of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
More information is available at the web site www.accessproject.org.
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