Language barriers in health care are a large and growing problem in the US, which contribute to disparities in health care quality and outcomes in populations with limited English proficiency. While provision of adequate interpreter services has been shown to reduce these disparities, many health care organizations do not provide them, citing their cost. However, little is known about the true costs of providing these services or the costs of not providing them. In this presentation, Dr. Jacobs will describe what is known about the costs and the benefits of providing interpreter services, including data from a study in which her research team calculated the cost of providing interpreter services in a network of public hospitals and put them in the context of estimated costs for other modes of interpretation.
- Tuesday, February 14, 2012
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4:00 – 5:30 pm
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1655 SPH Crossroads
THL News Blog 