Blogs

This week I read an engaging and informative survey report released by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) detailing Americans' usage of personal health records, or PHRs. What's a PHR? According to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), a PHR is "a tool that you can use to collect, track and share past and current information about your health or the health of someone in your care." A personal health record is different from a medical record because it is the patient's responsibility to compile and maintain a PHR. The survey indicates one in 14 Americans has used a personal health record, double the number of users from a year earlier. This number is almost certain to continue growing as the adoption of electronic health records, or EHRs, becomes more widespread. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included up to $29 billion to support providers' adoption and meaningful use of such records. Highlights of the survey showed that more than half of PHR users learned something about their health as a result of their PHR and a third of users used the PHR to take action to improve their condition. In addition, low-income PHR users (60%) tended to feel more connected to their doctor as a result of using a PHR. While private companies offer PHR solutions, over half of respondents to the survey said they felt most comfortable using a PHR provided by their doctor or insurer. PHR Translation Is Urgently Needed... Since the results of the study showed that low-income PHR users stand to benefit greatly from PHR use, and in many areas of the country, the limited-English and low-income demographics overlap, it makes sense that PHR providers should expand PHR offerings to other languages as soon as possible. People who primarily speak Spanish or another language should not be denied this service. If something as simple as maintaining a personal health record can help people feel more connected to providers and be more proactive about their health decisions, then everyone should get one! Do you have a PHR? Luis Miguel, CEO tel: 530.750.2040, ext. 1

That was our response upon receiving our census form in the mail. After all, the country of origin question goes a long way in determining what kind of language services an area needs to provide for local residents. Well, it’s sort of on the census. You see, under Question 9 about race, there are boxes for “white, black, American Indian, Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Other Asian, Native Hawaiian, Guamanian/Chamorro, Samoan, Other Pacific Islander, or “Some Other Race.” So one can glean some information about national origin and languages spoken from this version of the census, but there are some notable categories missing here. Arab-Americans are often divided about how to fill out this item—most choose “white,” but feel oddly doing so. In the same way, this form doesn’t accurately count Russian-Americans or Americans of Polish heritage, since those groups also self-identify as “white.” Here’s the answer to the “missing ethnicity question,” straight from the Census Bureau: “The 2010 Census isn’t designed to capture data on a person’s ancestry. We capture that information on the American Community Survey (ACS), which is part of the official census but conducted throughout the decade on a rolling sample of about 2.5 percent of the population every year. In Census 2000 and earlier decades what is now the ACS was commonly called “the long form” of the census; the 2010 Census is the first to use a short form only.” Time will only tell whether the ACS provides us with an accurate accounting of the many ethnic and linguistic groups within America, and whether this experiment with a “short form” proves costly in the long run for historically underrepresented groups.

Research shows that the per-patient costs of Language Assistance are low, while providing services in a culturally and linguistically appropriate (CLAS) manner leads to better patient outcomes and significantly lower costs to the system. With minorities providing most of the growth in California's population today and in the future, offering CLAS is a key factor in growing your patient base. Avantpage offers quality language access solutions at the government, insurer, provider, and individual level. We also have specific recommendations on how to start and implement a professional Language Assistance program. To learn more about how the cost benefits of language access, and the benefits to patients and community, contact Avantpage at 530-750-2040.

Whether your company is in need of translation services for the first time or you have years of experience, it's always good to review best practices. These 10 tips can help your business navigate the process of obtaining, coordinating, and evaluating translation services.  Because Avantpage realizes how important it is to get things right from the beginning. 1) Be an educated translation consumer. When it comes to selecting a Language Services Provider (LSP) you must get well-acquainted with their translation process and quality assurance procedures, as well as the costs. It goes without saying that the cheapest translation provider may not be the best one for your company, but a good provider will be able to find ways to save you money. 2) Do an internal-needs assessment. This involves asking some critical questions before you proceed. What languages are you dealing with? Is a particular linguistic group within your area not considered a "threshold" language according to some definitions, but you know the population is growing? Does it make economic sense to begin providing translation service in this area anyway? What types of vital documents will you need to have translated? What data formats are the documents in? 3) Allocate appropriate resources. Providers of medical plans may already realize this, but any large company that is serious about translation should have a Cultural & Linguistics department or coordinator. It's also essential to allocate an appropriate budget, since you will need to hire a certified LSP. 4) Plan the translation process. Work with your language service provider to determine your process, what steps will take place each time a document is translated and how your specific needs will be met. What regulations must you follow in regards to translation? 5) Make sure all translation is coordinated from the top down. This seems like common sense, but the head of the C&L department should work with the LSP to ensure consistency throughout all documents. Recurrent phrases that have to be rewritten to make sense in the target language should always be translated the same way... This leads to #6. 6) Create style guides and glossaries. Compiled manually, style guides and glossaries do not affect the cost or time of your translations. They increase the overall quality and consistency of your documents. A glossary contains important terms with their preferred translations, and the style guide lets translators know linguistic and stylistic preferences (such as the audience and tone of the document.) 7) Stay ahead of the game by standardizing vital documents and pre-translating non-standard vital documents. If you know the need will exist to have a particular form or other document translated, it only makes sense to get it done ahead of time. Vital documents include applications, consent forms and letters. Non-standard documents usually contain information specific to one person, such as a health care service authorization. 8) Design and write documents appropriately. What does this mean? You have to assume that your audience may only read at the elementary school level. Keep information written for the consumer as simple and clear as possible. This will also help you when it comes time to have documents translated. Documents that require certain wording for legal purposes can still be written in words everyone can understand-it may just take a little extra effort. 9) Design appropriate internal review processes. How will you know when a translation is finished? ASTM STD. F 2575‐06 is mainly used in the USA and will give you a good starting point to discuss the quality assurance process with your LSP. If your company works in Europe, you may need to use EN 15038 as a standard instead. 10) Be an active part of the translation process and community. To ensure that you get the greatest value out of your translation services, be an active part of the process. If you have one main LSP, consider having a backup available in case of emergencies. Work closely with them at all times. Join professional organizations that will help you stay on top of changes to the law. When you anticipate regulatory changes, it will be easier to comply. Finally, always look ahead to the future of translation in your industry. When you begin to think of translation as more than just compliance, but a tool to reach new markets, you'll see that quality translations aren't just necessary; they're part of an investment strategy that will eventually have a major payoff.

Translation attestation is an important regulatory requirement for Federal Medicare and California Language Assistance programs (Executive Order 13166, California Code of Regulations sections 1300.67.8 and 1304.67.04, and California Insurance Code sections 82538.1 to 82538.8).  An attestation is the equivalent to a notarized certification; it simply corroborates or authenticates the facts detailed. It's not a guarantee of quality. The actual translation must be performed according to agreed-upon processes and standards. To learn more about Avantpage's attestations and our policies, contact Laura Kujubu, VP of Operations, at 530-750-2040, x3.

The International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) has been recruiting medical interpreters interested in doing field work in Haiti. The USNS Comfort is assisting Haitian victims since the disaster took place. The American Red Cross in Miami is organizing the placement in the USNS Comfort and has requested the assistance of the IMIA to recruit professional Haitian medical interpreters. Over 100 interpreters were deployed last month and there will be rotations of 34 interpreters each month.
Click here to find the recruitment criteria, guidelines and the deployment guidelines. Please read the document carefully.
The Red Cross will pay for travel to Miami and provide lodging and meals aboard the USNS Comfort as well as telephone cards. Term of field work is 30 days. If you are seriously interested and committed to volunteering for this specific field work at the USNS Comfort, please do the following:
Thanks!

According to data from the United States Census of 2000, the top five languages other than English most widely spoken by Californians in their homes are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean. Together, these languages are spoken by approximately 83 percent of all Californians who speak a language other than English in their homes, or more than 9.96 million people. When you consider that it can be difficult even for native English speakers to understand a complicated real estate contract, it's not hard to imagine that limited-English individuals are especially susceptible to fraudulent lending practices. California Assembly Bill 1160, passed in 2009 and in effect as of January 1, 2010, addresses this. If negotiations for a real estate transaction are conducted in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean, the borrower must be given a written translation of the contract and/or the appropriate disclosures and forms. If there are any substantial revisions to the contract, then these revisions must be translated as well. Avantpage has released a special report called "New Standards For Contract Translation In California." The report discusses the full implications of the new law as well as strategies for lenders and brokers seeking compliance.

Today Avantpage Translations released a special report called Translation Law and The Pharmacy: Protecting The Consumer's Right To Understand. Healthcare providers, insurers, and managed care organizations have already changed the way they interact with limited-English proficient (LEP) clients. With recently settled lawsuits in New York and upcoming changes in enforcement in California, the new focus is on pharmacies. How can pharmacies meet the new translation requirements effectively and ensure compliance? What will new guidelines mean? This topic is especially timely because the California State Board of Pharmacy in the Department of Consumer Affairs is in the process of defining compliance with Senate Bill 472, which requires standardized pharmacy labels. The Board has recently adopted draft regulations and is accepting comments until January 4, 2010. They will hold a hearing on the issue on January 20, in Sacramento at 1625 N. Market Blvd. in the Hearing Room at 9:30 a.m. Avantpage will continue to examine the linguistic issues that affect healthcare and keep clients informed as the regulations change. You may also contact Avantpage at (530) 750-2040 or at info@avantpage.com for more information.

The California Board of Pharmacy recently adopted draft regulations for the standardization and translation of prescription drug labels.  We think this is a great step forward, but the Board needs to go farther--specifically, by requiring labels to be translated into every patient's primary language. In doing so, the Board will be supporting stronger regulations for language access.  If you'd like to express your thoughts on label translation, send your comments by January 4, 2010 to:  Carolyn Klein  Manager, Legislation and Regulations  California State Board of Pharmacy  1625 N. Market Blvd., N219  Sacramento, CA 95834  Fax: (916) 574-8618  Email: Carolyn_Klein@dca.ca.gov There will also be a hearing on the issue on January 20, in Sacramento at 1625 N. Market Blvd. in the Hearing Room at 9:30 a.m.  When you comment, we suggest including these messages, created by CPEHN: Thanks for supporting stronger regulations for language access!

Today, Avantpage Translations and School Innovations & Advocacy (SI&A) released a special report on ways that properly and accurately translated documents-not just the ones required by law-can enhance relationships and overall results for schools. Research shows conclusively that parent involvement in their children's education improves student achievement. In particular, children from low-income and culturally and racially diverse families-students most often affected by racial and ethnic "achievement gaps"-benefit from increased involvement. Schools are searching for ways to close these achievement gaps-and translation is a cost-effective solution that should be explored. It's easy to see how school districts can realize higher rates of participation and improved results when they speak the community's language. The complete report can be downloaded here. Avantpage continues to address the linguistic issues that affect education in California and around the country.

Avantpage has been awarded a contract with the California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) through a competitive bid process. Avantpage will translate State of California Child Support Services' official documents, forms and publications from English into six languages - Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Armenian, Simplified Chinese, and Hmong. Avantpage will also provide reverse translation services by translating into English, documents received by DCSS that are written in languages other than English. Avantpage is proud to work with the DCSS on these important documents and looks forward to the opportunity of serving the families of California.

Today, in celebrating our 13th "lucky" year of excellence in helping people better communicate with and understand each other, Avantpage Translations has released a report called Avantpage: Translating 13 Years of Experience into Continued Success. This informative report takes a look back at 13 years of change in the translation industry and how the new global economy and the Internet have affected companies' translation needs. In addition, Avantpage CEO Luis Miguel shares his passion for the translation industry, his insights about the future, and emerging translation trends that may have a major impact. Here's to the next "lucky 13" years!