AMN Healthcare Study Tracks 45 Languages Spoken in Patient/Provider Encounters in U.S.
14 Novembre 2023 - 3:00PM
Patient/provider encounters in the United States are conducted in
an increasingly diverse set of languages beyond English and
Spanish, according to the 2023 Healthcare World Languages Index
compiled by AMN Healthcare, a leading healthcare talent acquisition
and technology company, which tracked data showing the 45 languages
most commonly spoken in clinical visits in the last 12 months.
The new report is based on more than 204 million minutes – or
more than 142,000 days -- of language interpretation services the
company provided via AMN Healthcare Language Services for patients
in hospitals, medical groups, and other clinical settings. That’s
compared to 102 million minutes when AMN Healthcare compiled its
inaugural report in 2021, a 100 percent increase in interpretation
services provided.
“Language diversity in healthcare is exploding,” said Jacobia
Solomon, President of AMN Healthcare Language Services. “From
Mandarin to Arabic to Swahili to Hmong, and many others, patients
in U.S. healthcare facilities are speaking a broader array of
languages than ever before, and providers are using evolving
technologies and platforms to meet this ever-increasing need.”
The report tracks 45 languages spoken in patient/provider
encounters nationwide. After English and Spanish, the first among
these are languages commonly spoken in China (Mandarin and
Cantonese), followed by Vietnamese and Arabic (tied), Haitian
Creole, American Sign Language (ASL), Russian, Portuguese, and
Korean. Among other languages tracked in the report are Nepali,
Swahili, Ukrainian, Somali, Amharic, Rohingya, Hmong, Bosnian and
Kinyarwanda.
Spanish is the most commonly spoken language other than English
in patient/provider encounters in 48 states, according to the
report. The exceptions are Maine, where Arabic is number one, and
Vermont, where Nepali ranks first. Portuguese is the second most
spoken non-English language after Spanish in New Jersey, South
Carolina and Utah, while Hmong is second after Spanish in
Wisconsin, and Russian is second after Spanish in Washington
state.
“Languages used in patient/provider healthcare encounters
generally are regionalized based on migration patterns to the U.S.”
Solomon said. “Often, this can be a result of refugee resettlement
programs like we’ve seen most recently in the evacuations from
Afghanistan.”
Underscoring America’s status as a land of asylum, many of the
languages tracked in the report are spoken in countries that have
experienced violence or turmoil, including Ukraine, Haiti, Vietnam,
Somalia, Myanmar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bosnia, and
others.
A Growing LEP Population
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 22%
of people in the U.S. (roughly 73 million) speak a language other
than English at home. This trend has resulted in a growing number
of LEP patients – healthcare consumers with Limited English
Proficiency who require interpretation services to ensure
appropriate care. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ), language barriers put 9% of U.S. patients at
risk for an adverse safety event. To ensure equal access to
healthcare, Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act requires that
interpretation services be provided to LEP patients at facilities
that benefit from federal funding.
Use of American Sign Language
The report indicates that the use of American Sign Language
(ASL) in patient/provider healthcare encounters is relatively
common. ASL ranked fourth in the 2023 report when considered as
non-spoken English and was used in 2.9% of all non-English
patient/provider encounters. According to Communications Services
for the Deaf, a global organization providing resources and
technologies for the deaf and hard of hearing community,
approximately 1 million people in the United States now use ASL as
their primary way to communicate.
A copy of AMN Healthcare’s 2023 Healthcare World Languages Index
may be obtained at
https://www.amnhealthcare.com/amn-insights/language-services/blog/2023-healthcare-world-language-index/
About AMN HealthcareAMN Healthcare is the
leader and innovator in total talent solutions for healthcare
organizations across the United States. The Company provides access
to the most comprehensive network of quality healthcare
professionals through its innovative recruitment strategies and
breadth of career opportunities. With insights and expertise, AMN
Healthcare helps providers optimize their workforce to successfully
reduce complexity, increase efficiency and improve patient
outcomes. AMN total talent solutions include managed services
programs, clinical and interim healthcare leaders, temporary
staffing, permanent placement, executive search solutions, vendor
management systems, recruitment process outsourcing, predictive
modeling, language interpretation services, revenue cycle
solutions, and other services. Clients include acute-care
hospitals, community health centers and clinics, physician practice
groups, retail and urgent care centers, home health facilities,
schools, and many other healthcare settings. AMN Healthcare is
committed to fostering and maintaining a diverse team that reflects
the communities we serve. Our commitment to the inclusion of many
different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives enables our
innovation and leadership in the healthcare services industry. For
more information about AMN Healthcare,
visit www.amnhealthcare.com.
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