A new report by the Commonwealth Fund identifies several promising practices that hospitals can incorporate in treating their diverse populations. The practices are drawn from the programs of several hospitals that have successfully overcome language and cultural barriers to provide effective healthcare interactions. To conduct the study, the American Medical Association’s Ethical Force Program and the Health Research and Educational Trust, an affiliate of the American Hospital Association, conducted eight hospital site visits to learn about patient-centered strategies being used to improve communication with vulnerable patients. The hospitals were chosen based on several criteria, including location, patient diversity, creativity of strategies, and the potential for using those strategies at other organizations.
The nine practices are based on themes that recurred as the hospitals developed their various approaches to clear communication. They include encouraging passionate champions throughout the organization, collecting information on patient needs, engaging communities, developing workforce diversity and communication skills, involving patients, encouraging awareness of cultural diversity and low health literacy, providing effective language assistance services, using clear language, and evaluating organizational performance over time. Read the report.
