AHRQ Research on Communication with Patients with LEP

2010 Marks Communication Improvements for Patients with LEP

Individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) have worse health care access and report lower quality of care compared to individuals who are proficient in English. AHRQ researchers found that communication between providers and individuals with LEP in the U.S. has improved since 2010.

Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, AHRQ investigators found that provider-patient communication got worse for individuals with LEP between 2006 and 2010, at a time when communication improved for the population overall. After 2010, a year that marked substantial efforts to reform the U.S. healthcare system, communication for individuals with LEP got better, although linguistic disparities persist.

Access the abstract at: Patient-Provider Communication Disparities by Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Trends from the US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2006-2015

For resources on bridging language differences, check out:

• Address Language Differences, from the AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit
• How To Deliver the Re-Engineered Discharge to Diverse Populations, from the Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) Toolkit