Healthcare Interpreting Efficiency Audit
Balancing LEP Patients Requirements with Available Resources
A host of federal and state laws and regulations require healthcare providers to make professional language services available to Limited English Proficient (LEP), deaf, and hard-of-hearing patients. This makes healthcare interpreting compliance a challenge, particularly when financial resources and human capital are limited. That’s why we created LingoStats360, an innovative audit program that uses hard data to help providers manage compliance while maintaining efficient, effective use of their resources.
Using LingoStats360 to Optimize Language Access
We apply Six Sigma methods to analyze historical and surveyed data, and develop an understanding of the patient population, staffing needs, existing workflow, current processes, and budgets. From there, we catalog fulfillment rates within each department, the LEP growth rate, and peak and flow rates that result in inefficient staffing for interpreting services. Based on our analysis, we will identify:
- gaps in service provision relative to federal and state requirements
- opportunities for resolution, improvements and efficiencies
- a concrete plan to reach desired fulfillment rates and outcomes
Improving Healthcare Interpreting Compliance
Solutions for improved healthcare interpreting compliance may include an expanded or different mix of onsite and remote interpreting, or adding supplemental outsourced interpreters to reinforce the internal team. For example, we can help clients determine an optimum mix of onsite, telephone, and video remote interpreting solutions to stretch financial resources while improving patient experience and ensuring compliance. In many situations, patient populations are in constant flux. In these cases, periodic auditing helps ensure sustained healthcare interpreting compliance. We can conduct a LingoStats audit as often as necessary to ensure our clients maintain an efficient, cost-effective language access plan.
