LanguageLine Blog | Over the phone

Why Pharmacies Need Language Access

Posted by The LanguageLine Solutions Team on September 18, 2018

Like physicians, pharmacies play an important role in empowering patients to take charge of their health

Unfortunately, language barriers often make it more difficult for non-English-speaking customers to ask important questions about their medication, take it as directed, and be aware of potential side effects.

As pharmacies serve increasingly diverse populations, language access is becoming more important than ever.

The Center for Immigration Studies reports that one in five Americans (65 million people) speaks a language other than English at home. Just over of 40 percent of these individuals is considered Limited English Proficient (LEP), meaning they speak English “less than very well” and are entitled to assistance. This LEP group constitutes about nine percent of the total U.S. population.

Language barriers can pose serious health risks to LEP customers. Research has shown that those with little knowledge of English often do not have a good understanding of their medication instructions.

Here are a few ways language access can help pharmacists empower their customers.

What 2017 Taught Insurance Companies About the Need for Language Services

Posted by Greg Marshall on December 13, 2017

For tens of thousands of people, 2017 was a year of devastation.

First it was floods: residents in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and other southern states faced catastrophic damage. Hurricane Harvey alone claimed at least 48 lives and caused an estimated $190 billion in damage. Then it was fire. Wildfires in Northern and Southern California forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes as the governor twice declared a state of emergency.

When you factor in severe storms, cyclones, and other weather-related events, there were 15 that claimed more than 320 lives as of October. Each disaster cost $1 billion or more. Many of those affected were limited English proficient, deaf, or hard-of-hearing and required language services.Insurance companies know disaster is inevitable.

Having a language service provider on hand is a simple step they can take to ensure they are prepared to assist their policyholders and provide a great customer experience, regardless of language need.

Is Your Organization Ready for New Language-Access Laws Coming in 2018?

Posted by Suzy duMont-Perez on December 4, 2017

You may not realize it, but two laws aimed at improving communication with limited-English-proficient (LEP) beneficiaries will go into effect in 2018.

If yours is a home-health agency seeking to participate in Medicare or a health-insurance company that offers plans for employees, you will want to pay attention to these new laws so as to stay in compliance.

Measuring the ROI of Language Services in Health Care

Posted by Matthew Riley on December 1, 2017

A Somali man rushes into the emergency room with his young son, who has fallen from the balcony of their second-story apartment. Although the boy has no visible injuries, his father is concerned he may have a concussion and internal bleeding. He tries frantically to communicate with emergency room personnel using gestures and the few English phrases he has learned since moving to the United States six months before.

The triage nurse quickly places a video call to a Somali interpreter, who can relay the man’s concerns to her. Within minutes, the boy undergoes a CAT scan and receives appropriate treatment and monitoring. He is able to return home with his father later that evening.

Without video remote interpreting, this scenario could have played out much differently. While other industries demand to see a return on investment in hard dollars, the ROI of language services in health care is often measured by the absence of something.

Here are seven ways healthcare professionals measure the impact of their investment in language services.

Three Technologies That Are Improving Interpreter-Connect Times

Posted by The LanguageLine Solutions Team on November 9, 2017

When a customer takes time out of their busy day to call, every second matters, because every additional second they spend on hold stands to amplify their frustration.

It’s another second they’re not getting an answer to their question, another second to dwell on their problem, and another second to consider taking their business elsewhere.

For customers who need to connect with an interpreter, the wait can be even longer – but it doesn’t have to be.

Language access has evolved as the world has become more connected. Users are surrounded by smart, multi-function devices and expect to receive service anywhere and everywhere at any time. Fortunately, new technologies ensure that customer experience keeps pace with customer expectation.

When LSPs first came on the scene more than 30 years ago, the concept of a remote interpreter was novel. Decades later, our aim is to leverage technology in reducing wait times to mere seconds to ensure an optimal user experience.

Technological innovations are enabling faster connections to over-the-phone and video interpreters. Here’s a look at three of the latest advances and the impact they’re having on improving interpreter-connect times:

How Quality and Security Are Ensured With Remote Interpreters

Posted by Jeff Cordell on October 5, 2017

Imagine you’re a sales manager at a telecommunications retailer that just rolled out the latest and greatest smartphone. A family of four has come into the store to upgrade their phones, a sale equal to well over $1,000. However, the family only speaks Vietnamese, a language that’s not common in your region.

Fortunately, you can use a mobile app to connect with an interpreter in less than a minute. While you explain the features and benefits of the newest model, the interpreter relays the information to the family in Vietnamese, and in turn relays their questions to you. The interpreter does all of this securely from a remote office, hundreds of miles away.

Language-access clients love the idea that their customers, patients, and citizens have near-instant access to interpretation in a constellation of 240-plus languages, but they wonder about security. Is the private and personal information that is exchanged during these calls as secure as it would be if the interpreter was sitting in a brick-and-mortar call center? Furthermore, how can the quality of these remote workers be assured?

We can’t speak for all providers of language solutions, but this is how LanguageLine reconciles these issues:

Case Study: Doctor, Patient Break Down Communication Barrier with the Help of Dual-Handset Phone

Posted by The LanguageLine Solutions Team on September 26, 2017

Eight percent of all people living in the United States are considered limited English proficient, meaning they speak English less than “very well.”

This language barrier poses challenges in all aspects of life for LEPs, and especially when they visit a physician. One Cantonese patient at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York has been faced with this obstacle again and again as he has dealt with a leg deformity that has required multiple operations to correct.

Should You Use Phone, Onsite, or Video Remote Interpreting?

Posted by The LanguageLine Solutions Team on December 23, 2016

Having more options than at any other time in history is generally a good thing, but the “paradox of choice” has a tendency to paralyze us. (As the famous jam study illustrated, consumers were much more likely to buy a jar of jam when they saw only six options, compared to 24.)

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