As a wealthy nation well known for being a melting pot, there are many principles that govern nondiscriminatory practice in health care services. The benchmarks for the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards targets a goal of reducing disparities in health care and encourages organizations to abide by these standards (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d.). In standard five, it states that language services need to be provided for those who are unable to communicate effectively due to a language barrier or other communication hurdle, free of charge. This standard is practiced at my facility with a policy under language services for patients with a language barrier, hearing, or speech impaired. The
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This standard is applied at my place of employment under a policy developed by the OhioHealth language services department. The policy states that it is the practice of OhioHealth to ascertain each patient’s communication needs, both oral and written, in addition to the patient’s language of preference for discussion of health care for treatment (OhioHealth Language Services, 1997). My organization provides patients who are facing communication barriers with interpretive services at any time throughout the phases of care. This policy also provides a statement of purpose which is to create procedures that delivers effective means of communication for limited English proficient (LEP) patients to include impaired hearing, speech, sight, and individuals who do not speak or comprehend the English language to ensure proper care and service as indicated by the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Joint Commission (OhioHealth Language Services, 1997). There are signs posted at various places at my facility, such as the patient registration areas, the information desk, by the elevators, and nurses stations, the use of my accessible real time trusted interpreter (MARTTI) which is a video unit that can access an interpreter, an interpreter who can be available at bedside, and a telephonic interpreting system. A recommendation on how the application of the standard could be enhanced to improve care is to ensure consistent access to interpreters throughout the evening and night shifts. It is difficult to have an interpreter physically present during the night hours. For example, when I was working during night shift a few years ago, I was unsuccessful in finding a Chinese interpreter at 1:30 a.m. for a new admission in the intensive care unit. My health care team and I had to wait until day shift to adequately assess and
This standard is applied at my place of employment under a policy developed by the OhioHealth language services department. The policy states that it is the practice of OhioHealth to ascertain each patient’s communication needs, both oral and written, in addition to the patient’s language of preference for discussion of health care for treatment (OhioHealth Language Services, 1997). My organization provides patients who are facing communication barriers with interpretive services at any time throughout the phases of care. This policy also provides a statement of purpose which is to create procedures that delivers effective means of communication for limited English proficient (LEP) patients to include impaired hearing, speech, sight, and individuals who do not speak or comprehend the English language to ensure proper care and service as indicated by the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Joint Commission (OhioHealth Language Services, 1997). There are signs posted at various places at my facility, such as the patient registration areas, the information desk, by the elevators, and nurses stations, the use of my accessible real time trusted interpreter (MARTTI) which is a video unit that can access an interpreter, an interpreter who can be available at bedside, and a telephonic interpreting system. A recommendation on how the application of the standard could be enhanced to improve care is to ensure consistent access to interpreters throughout the evening and night shifts. It is difficult to have an interpreter physically present during the night hours. For example, when I was working during night shift a few years ago, I was unsuccessful in finding a Chinese interpreter at 1:30 a.m. for a new admission in the intensive care unit. My health care team and I had to wait until day shift to adequately assess and