No abstract

What is known on this subject . Patients with limited English proficiency experience health disparities that affect their quality of care and health outcomes. . It is recognised that the use of interpreters helps to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for patients with limited English proficiency. . In the USA there are important laws and policies that provide legal protection for healthcare recipients with diverse language and communication needs.What this paper adds . It describes how a cancer centre implemented an institutional policy on language and communication services. . It provides an example of a cancer centre's language services programme designed to reduce health disparities experienced by patients with limited English proficiency. . It highlights the importance of hospitals having qualified medical translators and the availability of telephone and video interpreting to further assist their patients with limited English proficiency. ABSTRACTThere is robust and compelling evidence of the pervasiveness of health disparities experienced by groups with limited English proficiency and other diverse communication needs. These disparities have a significant impact on the quality of care and healthcare outcomes. This paper describes the institutional efforts of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in responding to the diverse language and communication needs of its patients and their families. Information is presented on Moffitt's approach to the development and implementation of comprehensive language and communication services in a hospital-based setting. Moffitt's Language Services Program is designed to improve access to and care of patients with diverse language and communication needs by offering high-quality, culturally competent and professionally delivered interpretation and translation