Breaking Down Language Barriers in Healthcare with AI-Powered Translations
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 26 million people in the United States have Limited English-Proficiency (LEP). This is approximately 8% of all Americans aged five and older. And even though the law requires healthcare organizations that receive federal funding to provide meaningful access to care to these individuals, many FQHCs struggle to do so.
It’s understandable. Hiring professional translators can be expensive, and not all medical teams have the bilingual staff they need. These barriers have considerable impact on the ability of Limited English-Proficiency patients to receive care. Research has consistently found that these populations are more likely to be uninsured or no-show for appointments, than their English-proficient counterparts. One study found that Limited English-Proficiency patient populations were 32% more likely to no-show for appointments.
The impact is not equal. 20% of individuals with Limited English-Proficiency have a family income below 200% of the federal poverty level, compared to 10% of English-proficient individuals. And this matters more than we realize. Half of Limited English-Proficiency adults say they encountered at least one language barrier in a health care setting in the last three years.
We’ve heard it directly from the organizations that deliver the care:
"I use Google Translate or ChatGPT, but getting a Spanish translation under 320 characters takes a lot of extra work."
"For Burmese we hire a contractor, no internal staff is available. And when less common languages are involved, the whole process takes longer.”
That’s why we’ve built Automated Message Translations, for Limited English-Proficiency patients, directly into CareMessage’s patient engagement platform.
We believe health equity is a right, not a privilege, and breaking down language barriers is a critical step in breaking down language barriers and improve access to care for all Limited-English Proficiency patients in the United States.
Translations that are Built for Accuracy, Trust, and Simplicity
Translation quality matters when you’re reaching out to a patient about their health. We’ve taken multiple steps as an organization to ensure the outputs are correct.
Powered by AI, translations leverage two separate models and use the one better suited for the specific language being translated. On top of that, prior to launch, we conducted extensive validation testing with native speakers on all major languages offered. We spent two weeks testing, evaluating, and confirming outputs were high quality and culturally-accurate. And this work reflects in our translation error rate.
Translations occur directly in messaging workflows staff are accustomed to, so no jumping between Google Translate and Patient Portals and no copy pasting semi-accurate copy across tools. Since releasing Automated Translations to our customers, we’ve already seen thousands of messages successfully translated and delivered to patients at some of the country’s largest FQHCs.
Every patient deserves to hear from their care team in the language they feel comfortable in. With Automated Translations, we make that a reality.
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