Like many executives at hospitals and healthcare centers, you know that translation plays an important part in providing quality healthcare. But many organizations question how to get started with translation and also ensure compliance with Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care Standards (CLAS). As a specialized, highly qualified healthcare translation provider, Avantpage has the answers needed to communicate more effectively with a Limited English Profi cient (LEP) audience.
Translation Reduces Stress and Creates a Positive Healthcare Experience
The key to creating a trusted, safe healthcare experience is translating materials into the core languages that LEP clientele speak and understand. This includes signage, fl yers, surveys, patient education documents, consent and intake forms, booklets, registration forms, and more. Patients will be better equipped to understand medical information and instructions, navigate a healthcare facility with confi dence, and make informed, educated choices regarding their healthcare. Many LEP patients speak some English, but are more comfortable reading signs, forms, and other information in their own languages.
Communication Errors Put a Healthcare Organization at Risk
While some healthcare organizations think they don’t have extra resources to spend on translation, the truth is that they don’t have the luxury of choosing to forgo translation of critical documents. Language access is mandated by federal laws and regulatory agencies.
Not only is it the law, it makes sound business sense, too. Translating critical documents and instructions into threshold languages:
- reduces the potential for medical errors
- increases the level of patient understanding
- lessens the possibility of malpractice issues due to misunderstandings
Translation done poorly puts a company at risk. At best, an organization might end up with inaccurate translations, which will cause embarrassment and damage to a good reputation. At worst, misinformation exposes an organization to malpractice suits, other legal claims, medical errors, and non-compliance rulings.
Get Started with Translation Now
At Avantpage, we’re fully versed in and adhere to CLAS Standards, which provide a framework for all healthcare organizations to best serve their increasingly diverse communities, and our highly qualifi ed translation teams are trained specialists in managed care threshold languages. For more information on how to create a comprehensive, cost-effective translation program, contact us today.
