Cultural Competency and Language Access:

Selected Research and Readings

Hospitals, Language and Culture: A Snapshot of the Nation

This study offers a glimpse into how 60 hospitals across the country are providing healthcare to culturally and linguistically patient populations. Recommendations for improving the provision of care to diverse patient populations include hospitals: implementing a uniform framework for the collection of data on race, ethnicity, and language; formalizing processing for translating patient education materials into languages other than English; and making hospital and medical staff aware of the tendency toward stereotyping. 

(Wilson-Stronks, A. and Galvez, E., The Joint Commission and The California Endowment, 2007)

Language Services Action Kit

This language kit was designed to help ensure that limited English proficient (LEP) patients receive appropriate language assistance services in healthcare settings. Included in the kit are models adopted by some states to reimburse healthcare providers for language services and a description of the federal laws and policies that cover the requirement for healthcare providers to ensure language access services.    

(National Health Law Program and The Access Project, Updated February 2004)

Caring for a Changing Community: How Northeast Ohio Hospitals are Serving a Diverse Population

The ability to connect with and understand patients is key to caring for them. Shifting demographics are resulting in an increasingly diverse population, which presents new opportunities for effectively and sensitively serving different patient populations. This brief looks at how national, state and local demographics are shifting; relevant laws and regulatory guidance pertaining to minority populations; and examples of how hospital practices reflect a commitment to assuring care is linguistically and culturally appropriate. Click here to open and save the accompanying PowerPoint presentation. (Kirstin Craciun and Michele Egan, The Center for Health Affairs, September 2006)

National Healthcare Disparities Report: 2009

This report examines disparities in healthcare across four dimensions of quality: effectiveness, patient safety, timeliness and patient centeredness. Key findings include: healthcare disparities are widespread and lack of insurance is an important contributor; many disparities are not decreasing; disparities for cancer care, pneumonia and heart failure merit particular attention.  

(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, March 2010)

Modest and Uneven: Physician Efforts to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities

Despite widespread physician knowledge of practices that would help to erase racial and ethnic disparities, adoption of these practices remains modest. While over half of physicians surveyed reported that their practices provide interpreter services, less than one in four physicians receives a report on patient demographics. The authors suggest that cost and lack of reimbursement for these activities likely hinders their adoption. (James D. Reschovsky and Ellyn R. Boukus, Center for Studying Health System Changes, February 2010)

Improving Communication – Improving Care

This report aims to help healthcare organizations ensure effective, patient-centered communication with people from diverse populations. Specific, measurable expectations for six areas of organizational performance (i.e. collecting information) are provided.  

(Ethical Force Program Consensus Report, American Medical Association, 2006)

Hospital Language Services For Patients with Limited English Proficiency: Results from a National Survey

A national survey of U.S. hospitals was conducted to learn more about patient language services. This report describes current practices, common barriers, and the specific resources needed to provide language services to patients with limited English proficiency. (Hasnain-Wynia, R., et al., Health Research & Educational Trust and National Health Law Program, October 2006)

Last Updated: June 2010