Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Do Hospitals Measure up to the National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Standards

Bibliographic Data

ID9102385
AuthorsLisa C Diamond (0000-0002-2175-6224, Palo Alto Institute, corresponding author), Amy Wilson-Stronks (Joint Commission), Elizabeth A Jacobs (0000-0002-5549-7718)
Year2010
Volume48
Issue12
Pages1080-1087
Publication date2010-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedical Care (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0025-7079 • E-ISSN: 1537-1948
PublisherOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/mlr.0b013e3181f380bc
PMID21063229
OpenAlexW2024252332
LanguageEN
Citations received24
References cited23

BACKGROUND: Federal regulations require that health care organizations provide language services to patients with limited English proficiency. The National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care (CLAS standards) provide guidance on how to fulfill these regulations. It is not known how US hospitals have incorporated them into practice. OBJECTIVES: To assess how US hospitals are meeting federal regulations requiring provision of language services using CLAS as a measure of compliance. RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SUBJECTS: Hospital interpreter services managers (or equivalent position). MEASURES: Degree of meeting each of the 4 language-related CLAS standards. RESULTS: Many hospitals are not meeting federal regulations. The majority reported providing language assistance in a timely manner in their first, but not their third, most commonly requested language. Although hospitals reported that they informed patients of their right to receive language services, many did so only in English. A majority of hospitals reported the use of family members or untrained staff as interpreters. Few reported providing vital documents in non-English languages. Overall, 13% of hospitals met all 4 of the language-related CLAS standards, whereas 19% met none. CONCLUSIONS: Our study documents that many hospitals are not providing language services in a manner consistent with federal law. Enforcement of these regulations is inconsistent, and thus does not motivate hospitals to comply. Compliance will likely come with new guidelines, currently being written, by many of the regulatory organizations. Our study reinforces the importance of these efforts and helps target interventions to improve the delivery and safety of care to limited English proficient patients

Business · Compliance (psychology) · Enforcement · Health care · Interpreter · Language barrier · Limited English proficiency · Medical education · Political science · Psychological intervention · Public relations · Cultural Competency in Health Care · Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare · Medicine · Multilingual Education and Policy · Nursing · Psychology

  • How Should Clinicians Respond to Language Barriers That Exacerbate Health Inequity

    Open Access•Jason Espinoza, Sabrina Derrington•The AMA Journal of Ethic•2021

  • What Should Clinicians Do When a Patient's Autonomy Undermines Her Being Treated Equitably

    Open Access•Amy E Scharf, Louis Voigt et al.•The AMA Journal of Ethic•2021

  • What Should Be the Scope of Long-Term Care Organizations’ Obligations to Offer Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services to Patients

    Open Access•Darlon Jan, Azziza Bankole et al.•The AMA Journal of Ethic•2023

  • Health care professionals’ views of supportive care needs for Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans with metastatic cancer

    Open Access•Jacqueline H J Kim, Kauser Ahmed et al.•Asian American Journal of…•2024

  • Immigrant and Refugee Families

    Open Access•Celia Jaes Falicov, Jaime Ballard et al.•Immigrant and Refugee Families•2016

  • A Systematic Review of the Impact of Patient–Physician Non-English Language Concordance on Quality of Care and Outcomes

    Open Access•Lisa Diamond, Karen Izquierdo et al.•Journal of General Internal…•2019

  • Understanding Professional Medical Interpreters’ Perspectives on Advancing Accurate and Culturally Informed Patient–Provider Communication for Filipinos in Hawaiʻi

    Open Access•Uliana Kostareva, Carrie A Soo Hoo et al.•International Journal of…•2023

  • Bridging the Language Gap in Healthcare

    Open Access•Michelle Mavreles Ogrodnick, Mary Helen O’connor et al.•International Journal of…•2024

  • Considering the role of allyship in healthcare

    Open Access•Veronica Derricks, India R Johnson et al.•Social Issues and Policy Review•2026

  • Telemedicine Across the Globe-Position Paper From the Covid-19 Pandemic Health System Resilience PROGRAM (Reprogram) International Consortium (Part 1)

    Open Access•Sonu Bhaskar, Sian Bradley et al.•Frontiers in Public Health•2020

  • Slow and Steady

    Open Access•Piedad Ortega, Maya Osman-Krinsky et al.•Academic Medicine•2024

  • Medical Spanish Standardization in U.S. Medical Schools

    Piedad Ortega, Lisa C Diamond et al.•Academic Medicine•2020

  • Development of a Tool to Assess Medical Oral Language Proficiency

    Open Access•Lisa C Diamond, Steven E Gregorich et al.•Academic Medicine•2023

  • System-Level Factors Affecting Clinicians’ Perceptions and Use of Interpreter Services in California Public Hospitals

    Open Access•Danielle Baurer, Julie Yonek et al.•Journal of Immigrant and Minority…•2012

  • Rethinking the Term “Limited English Proficiency” to Improve Language-Appropriate Healthcare for All

    Open Access•Piedad Ortega, Tiffany M Shin et al.•Journal of Immigrant and Minority…•2021

  • Characteristics of Cancer Hospitals with Written Language Access Policies

    Open Access•Alina Kung, Diane G Li et al.•Journal of Immigrant and Minority…•2022

  • Bridging the Chasm between Pregnancy and Health over the Life Course

    Open Access•Lois McCloskey, Jared Bernstein et al.•Women s Health Issues•2021

  • Limited English Proficiency and Outcomes in the Intensive Care Unit

    Open Access•Rachel Lehman, Helene Moriarty•Journal of Transcultural Nursing•2024

  • Literature Review of the National CLAS Standards

    Open Access•Crystal L Barksdale, William Harry Rodick et al.•Journal of Racial and Ethnic…•2017

  • Discharge Interventions for Limited English Proficiency Patients

    Open Access•Melanie Anaya, William Law et al.•Journal of Racial and Ethnic…•2025

  • Knowledge of Medical Interpretation Rights Among Individuals With Non-English Language Preference

    Miguel Linares, Stuart R Lipsitz et al.•Medical Care•2025

  • The Use of a Mobile Application to Increase Access to Interpreters for Cancer Patients With Limited English Proficiency

    Bharat Narang, So-Young Park et al.•Medical Care•2019

  • Delivering Culturally Competent Care to Migrants by Healthcare Personnel

    Open Access•Lampros Theodosopoulos, Evangelos Fradelos et al.•Social Sciences•2024

  • Third party interaction in the medical context

    Open Access•Caroline H Vickers, Ryan Goble et al.•Journal of Pragmatics•2015

  • Are latinos less satisfied with communication by health care providers?

    Leo S Morales, William E Cunningham et al.•Journal of General Internal…•1999

  • Language proficiency and adverse events in US hospitals

    Chandrika Divi, Richard G Koss et al.•International Journal for Quality…•2007

  • Effects of limited English proficiency and physician language on health care comprehension

    Elisabeth Wilson, Alice Hm Chen et al.•Journal of General Internal…•2005

  • Errors in Medical Interpretation and Their Potential Clinical Consequences in Pediatric Encounters

    Glenn Flores, M Barton Laws et al.•PEDIATRICS•2003

  • Language Barriers to Health Care in the United States

    Glenn Flores•New England Journal of Medicine•2006

  • Do Professional Interpreters Improve Clinical Care for Patients with Limited English Proficiency? A Systematic Review of the Literature

    Open Access•Leah S Karliner, Elizabeth A Jacobs et al.•Health Services Research•2007

  • Interpreter Use and Satisfaction With Interpersonal Aspects of Care for Spanish-Speaking Patients

    David W Baker, Risa P Hayes et al.•Medical Care•1998

  • When nurses double as interpreters

    Open Access•Virginia Elderkin-Thompson, Virginia Elderkin‐thompson et al.•Social Science & Medicine•2001

Unique citing works24
Citations per year1,71
Citation span2012 - 2026 (15)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 20
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae