TY - JOUR
T1 - Access to hospital interpreter services for limited english proficient patients in New Jersey
T2 - A statewide evaluation
AU - Flores, Glenn
AU - Torres, Sylvia
AU - Holmes, Linda J.
AU - Salas-Lopez, Debbie
AU - Youdelman, Mara K.
AU - Tomany-Korman, Sandra C.
PY - 2008/5/1
Y1 - 2008/5/1
N2 - Context/Objectives. We surveyed New Jersey (NJ) hospitals to assess current language services and identify policy recommendations on meeting limited English proficiency (LEP) patients' needs. Methods. Survey with 37 questions regarding hospital/patient features, interpreter services, and resources/policies needed to provide quality interpreter services. Results. Sixty-seven hospitals responded (55% response rate). Most NJ hospitals have no interpreter services department, 80% provide no staff training on working with interpreters, 31% lack multilingual signs, and 19% offer no written translation services. Only 3% of hospitals have full-time interpreters, a ratio of 1 interpreter:240,748 LEP NJ residents. Most hospitals stated third-party reimbursement for interpreters would be beneficial, by reducing costs, adding interpreters, meeting population growth, and improving communication. Conclusions. Most NJ hospitals have no full-time interpreters, interpreter services department, or staff training on working with interpreters, and deficiencies exist in hospital signage and translation services. Most NJ hospitals stated third-party reimbursement for interpreter services would be beneficial.
AB - Context/Objectives. We surveyed New Jersey (NJ) hospitals to assess current language services and identify policy recommendations on meeting limited English proficiency (LEP) patients' needs. Methods. Survey with 37 questions regarding hospital/patient features, interpreter services, and resources/policies needed to provide quality interpreter services. Results. Sixty-seven hospitals responded (55% response rate). Most NJ hospitals have no interpreter services department, 80% provide no staff training on working with interpreters, 31% lack multilingual signs, and 19% offer no written translation services. Only 3% of hospitals have full-time interpreters, a ratio of 1 interpreter:240,748 LEP NJ residents. Most hospitals stated third-party reimbursement for interpreters would be beneficial, by reducing costs, adding interpreters, meeting population growth, and improving communication. Conclusions. Most NJ hospitals have no full-time interpreters, interpreter services department, or staff training on working with interpreters, and deficiencies exist in hospital signage and translation services. Most NJ hospitals stated third-party reimbursement for interpreter services would be beneficial.
KW - Communication
KW - Health policy
KW - Hispanic Americans
KW - Interpreters
KW - Language
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U2 - 10.1353/hpu.0.0007
DO - 10.1353/hpu.0.0007
M3 - Article
C2 - 18469412
AN - SCOPUS:44049106544
SN - 1049-2089
VL - 19
SP - 391
EP - 415
JO - Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
JF - Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
IS - 2
ER -