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Quality in practice: integrating routine collection of patient language data into hospital practice

Hudelson, Patricia ; Dominicé Dao, Melissa ; Durieux-Paillard, Sophie

In: International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 2013, vol. 25, no. 4, p. 437-442

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    Title
    • Quality in practice: integrating routine collection of patient language data into hospital practice
    Author
    • Hudelson, Patricia. Division of Primary Care Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Primary Care and Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, 4, rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland
    • Dominicé Dao, Melissa. Division of Primary Care Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Primary Care and Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, 4, rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland
    • Durieux-Paillard, Sophie. Programme Santé Migrants, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Primary Care and Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, 89 rue de Lyon, 1203 Geneva, Switzerland
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Language
    • English
    Published in
    • International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 2013, vol. 25, no. 4, p. 437-442. Oxford University Press
    Other Version
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:304102
    Summary
    Quality problem Timely identification of patients' language needs can facilitate the provision of language-appropriate services and contribute to quality of care, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. Initial assessment At the University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland, timely organization of interpreter services was hindered by the lack of systematic patient language data collection. Choice of solution We explored the feasibility and acceptability of a procedure for collecting patient language data at the first point of contact, prior to its hospital-wide implementation. Implementation During a one-week period, receptionists and triage nurses in eight clinical services tested a new procedure for collecting patient language data. Patients were asked to identify their primary language and other languages they would be comfortable speaking with their doctor. Staff noted patients' answers on a paper form and provided informal feedback on their experience with the procedure. Evaluation Registration staff encountered few difficulties collecting patient language data and thought that the two questions could easily be incorporated into existing administrative routines. Following the pilot test, two language fields with scroll-down language menus were added to the electronic patient file, and the subsequent filling-in of these fields has been rapid and hospital wide. Lessons learned Our experience suggests that routine collection of patient language data at first point of contact is both feasible and acceptable and that involving staff in a pilot project may facilitate hospital-wide implementation. Future efforts should focus on exploring the sensitivity and specificity of the proposed questions, as well as the impact of data collection on interpreter use