In an era where AI-driven tools significantly influence the healthcare scenario, the following questions arise: Why should healthcare institutions diligently monitor and assess their employees’ language skills? Could technology reduce the need for human intervention in healthcare settings and reshape the landscape of language proficiency testing?

The Importance of Effective and Clear Communication in Healthcare

Effective and clear communication is paramount in healthcare because it leads to better outcomes. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asserts that healthcare providers receiving federal assistance must ensure services are accessible to individuals with limited English proficiency under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Thus, enhancing the bilingual/multilingual language capabilities of professionals remains a critical skill for delivering quality healthcare services. While technology aids in instant translation, it cannot replace the need for ongoing efforts to improve communication, as “No sophisticated AI can exist without mastery of language” (Toews).

Incorporating Specialized Language Courses in Healthcare Institutions

As the world becomes more diverse, healthcare institutions may need to incorporate specialized language courses, enabling employees to learn new languages or improve proficiency. While technology can offer written or spoken translations at your fingertips, continued education and professional development for bilingual/multilingual professionals ensures the delivery of best practices. Cultural competence, improving language skills, and encouraging collaborative work with interpreters must remain integral aspects of healthcare training. “In addition to interpreters who receive multicultural training, healthcare staff can undergo similar training. Multicultural training teaches skills like observing patients’ body language, using culturally specific phrasing, and understanding cultural norms around healthcare,” (Deering).

Leveraging Foreign Language Skills to Stay Competitive

A survey conducted for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) emphasizes the sustained demand for foreign language skills across industries in years to come, including healthcare and social assistance. Recommendations for employers to stay competitive include offering relevant language programs, sector-specific training, and creating policies at various levels responsive to industry, workforce, and customers’ needs. Given the healthcare sector’s reliance on employees with foreign language skills, reinforcing language proficiency through continuous education becomes imperative. In light of this diverse outlook on the provision of healthcare services, the crucial role and joint work of regulatory bodies and accrediting agencies will continue to be vital to ensure the quality and validity of language proficiency tests.

Language education for healthcare employees should prioritize meeting the requirement of clear communication between multilingual patients and staff to deliver safe and effective medical interventions. To achieve this, health organizations can advance their workforce’s language skills by training current multilingual employees and potential candidates. Language Testing International (LTI), a reliable language provider, has been a valuable and reliable partner in this endeavor for over three decades. As a leader in language proficiency testing across 40 countries, LTI offers valid and defensible certifications in over 120 languages in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Secure, remotely proctored assessments are available for the convenience of healthcare organizations striving to provide personalized services to limited or non-English speaking patients.

Sources

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Lead with Languages Campaign commissioned Ipsos Public Affairs, with the support of Pearson LLC and Language Testing International. (2019). “Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers.” https://www.actfl.org/uploads/files/general/MakingLanguagesOurBusiness_FullReport.pdf

Deering, J.D., Maura. “Addressing Language Barriers in Healthcare.” NurseJournal. Published September 29, 2023. https://nursejournal.org/articles/language-barriers-in-healthcare/

Toews, Rob. “Language is The Next Great Frontier In AI”.  Forbes. Feb. 13, 2022. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robtoews/2022/02/13/language-is-the-next-great-frontier-in-ai/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “HHS Takes Action to Break Language Barriers.” October 6, 2022. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/10/06/hhs-takes-action-break-language-barriers.html

Madeline Martínez is a Multicultural Navigator Specialist at URBANDER, a Woman and Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE) specializing in transforming businesses to advance humanity. URBANDER’s role is to serve as an extension of Marketing, Diversity, Human Resources, Procurement, Community Relations, and Social Responsibility teams, providing innovative approaches in the areas of strategic marketing, content development, workforce development, community outreach and IDEAS (inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and sustainability). Madeline holds a both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Communications from the University of Puerto Rico and is an experienced copywriter and content developer dedicated to amplifying the voices of URBANDER’s clients. From blogs and articles to social media posts and interviews, Madeline is a skilled writer across diverse topics integrating her marketing, business and academic acumen. Though her earlier work as a Publications Officer at the Inter American University in Puerto Rico, and her most recent performance as a Spanish Interpreter, Substitute Teacher, and Instructional Assistant for English-language learning elementary school students, Madeline has impacted countless families as they have navigated migrating to the U.S. from Spanish-speaking countries. As a bilingual professional, Madeline is also proficient in translating written documents from English to Spanish, and vice versa. She has received LTI issued ACTFL Language Proficiency Certificates in Spanish as follows: Advanced Writing, Advanced Listening, Advanced Reading and Superior Speaking. During her downtime, Madeline loves spending time with her family, and enjoys dancing, movies, photography, and coffee. She considers herself a continuous learner. “A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers”- Helen Keller

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