Warning Signs

These Warning Signs may indicate that your organization is not meeting language access compliance requirements and is at risk of liability, poor patient safety and compromised quality of care.

1. Patients bring family members and friends along to interpret.
2. Untrained or self-identified bilingual staff members have no language skills assessment, sensitivity to HIPAA issues and medical interpretation training.
3. No written policy on language services.
4. A written policy on language services exists, but staff members have no idea how to access language services.
5. People who do not speak English wait longer and are served later in emergency rooms compared to those who are English proficient.
6. The patient population does not mirror community demographics.
7. Hospital medical staff is not diverse.
8. Hospital management is not diverse.
9. Diversity and cultural issues are not being discussed and addressed on an ongoing basis.
10. Medical staff and management are not trained in cultural sensitivity.
11. Data is not collected to track and analyze how effectively all patients are treated (e.g. wait times, admissions, out comes), and analysis of LEP patients’ experiences is not being provided.
12. Hospital management is not looking at demographic trends for the region.