Greetings:

Hablamos Juntos is pleased to announce the Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM) published a special supplement on language barriers today (link below). The supplement is sponsored by Hablamos Juntos, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to 1) highlight state of the art research about the effects of language barriers on access, quality and cost of health care; 2) provide insight for clinicians, educators, researchers, administrators, and policy makers on addressing language barriers in healthcare settings; and 3) draw attention to unexplored areas of research and education.

The issue includes several peer reviewed studies on the consequences of language barriers for patients who speak little, if any, English and the impact of the absence of language services in health care settings. Two articles in the supplement attest to the role of language barriers in explaining racial/ethnic disparities in health care (Cheng et al and Sentell et al) and another (Chen et al) reviews the legal basis for attending to language barriers. Several studies report measurable disparities in quality of care result when patients and providers do not speak the same language and another (Partida) points out coordinated, systemic efforts are needed to conduct research and develop solutions to transform our English language health care system into one that is fully accessible to Americans with limited English proficiency (LEP).

In a foreword to the supplement, Richard H. Carmona, M.D., 17th Surgeon General of the United States, attests we push LEP immigrants to the fringes of our society and shares his family’s experiences and the vital importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate health information. “Until my family found a local doctor who spoke Spanish and understood our culture, we often struggled to understand what we needed to do to prevent diseases or to recover from illness or injuries,”said Carmona. “Language difficulties can create a wall of confusion and misunderstanding between health professionals and the people we are trying to serve, essentially becoming barriers to quality care. Our nation must increase its determination to serve diverse populations by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate care to our patients.”

In supporting the supplement, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation demonstrates its national commitment to programs that bring more equality to the health care system. “The quality of health care for all Americans will not be improved without a concentrated effort to ensure that patients who are limited English proficient have access to language services and assistance in clinical encounters within America’s hospitals and health systems,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., MBA, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “I am hopeful that, with continued vigilance, we will identify solutions to address language barriers that affect the quality of patient care.”

We would like to thank Alicia Fernandez, MD, Associate Professor UCSF and Somnath Saha, MD, MPH Associate Professor, Portland VAMC and Oregon Health & Science University supplement co-editors and JGIM editor William Tierney, MD, Indiana University School of Medicine and journal staff for their work to ensure that this set of articles and commentaries met and exceeded the goals listed above.

You can now access the online version of this supplement here:

• Hablamos Juntos: Resource Library – Current Events

Thank you for your continued interest in the work of Hablamos Juntos and our common effort to promote all patients have access to safe, quality health care, regardless of their preferred language.