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For patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), a healthcare visit can be somewhat frustrating for them and for their clinician. That’s why several federal laws require certain healthcare entities to offer interpreter services. A survey of 230 primary care physicians recently published in JAMA Network Open revealed that only 50.4% of respondents regularly used at least 1 type of professional medical interpreter, while 53.0% regularly relied on ad hoc interpreters, such as family members or clinical or administrative staff. Additionally, 78.3% of respondents reported that limited interpreter access or insufficient time to arrange for interpreters affected care at least sometimes. Similarly, 77.8% reported that patient preferences, including requests for family or friends to interpret, affected care. Nearly 71% of physicians lacked confidence in their ability to engage patients with LEP in treatment decisions. Professional interpreter use was more common in academic centers and large medical groups than in private practices.
Let’s talk: Urgent care centers covered by federal nondiscrimination laws—such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Affordable Care Act—may be required to provide qualified language assistance at no cost when needed for patients with limited English proficiency. This does not necessarily require an interpreter to be physically present. Telephone or video interpretation may satisfy the requirement, and the law does allow family or friends to act as interpreters if the patient chooses.