January brings a noticeable shift in patient volume for most clinics and hospitals. Respiratory illnesses rise at the same time families return to school, work, and childcare routines. This creates more questions, more follow-up calls, and more need for clear instructions. When patients and families speak different languages, the winter surge becomes even harder to … Continued
A 2018 review (entitled Patient Satisfaction of Telephone or Video Interpreter Services Compared with In-Person Services) collected results from eight separate studies. Each sought to compare patient satisfaction with phone or video interpretation to that of an on-site interpreter. Patient satisfaction – and its subsequent HCAHPS scores – represents a critical metric for hospitals and healthcare organizations. Understanding how language … Continued
CMS star ratings for health plans have always considered exceptional member satisfaction when measuring quality healthcare. However, changes to the star rating criteria in 2021 make a positive member experience more critical than before. How will these changes affect your plan’s star rating and funding? How can you improve your plan’s member experience? Let’s dive … Continued
The United States’ rapidly growing Hispanic population is increasing business competition for this desirable market segment. So, how can you increase sales with Hispanic consumers? We recommend starting with the basics— offering culturally appropriate, accurate language services. Spanish interpretation and translation services help you effectively communicate with limited-English proficient (LEP) members of your target audience, which … Continued
National Financial Literacy Month empowers people to learn how to make informed decisions related to banking and finance. However, boosting financial literacy can be more challenging when language barriers stand in the way. Let’s review two ways your institution can improve financial literacy for LEP account holders: 1. Translate educational materials and other written content … Continued
Optimized language services eliminate language barriers during open enrollment and create a better experience for your limited-English proficient (LEP) enrollees. Here are a few steps you can take to improve the language services your health plan offers during open enrollment and throughout the year. Step 1: Determine which language services you’ll need To comply with Section … Continued
What is cultural competence? Cultural competence refers to how healthcare providers can meet patients’ social, cultural, and linguistic needs to help eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. For many people around the world, language, culture, and religion are often tightly woven together. Language barriers and cultural misunderstandings are two common issues that contribute to poor … Continued
How Language Services Support Holiday Emergency Preparedness Why Communication Matters During the Holidays The holidays can create communication challenges for any organization. Teams are working with smaller staffs, schedules change, and unexpected events — from severe weather to service disruptions — can happen with little warning. In those moments, it’s important that information reaches everyone … Continued
Closing Out the Year and Looking Ahead December marks a natural pause point for many teams. The busiest season has passed, and it’s the right time to look at how language services supported compliance, reporting, and member communication over the last few months. Reviewing results now can highlight what worked well and where projects ran … Continued
November signals the wrap-up of the federal fiscal year, when teams finalize reports and prepare for audits. It’s also a period of review, as agencies evaluate outreach efforts and refine materials for public release or submission to oversight bodies. Language access plays an important part in keeping those communications accurate and compliant. The Year-End Push … Continued
