Ahead of the upcoming 10 10-year plan, healthcare organisations across England are facing growing pressure to streamline operations through digital transformation, improve patient outcomes, and optimise operational costs.
One often-overlooked aspect that significantly impacts these goals is effective communication.
With in excess of 150 languages spoken in England, this is particularly valid in diverse communities where patients and care providers may not share the same language, yet translation barriers in healthcare can result in delayed care, misdiagnosis, and adverse health outcomes for patients.
I personally believe that addressing language barriers is key to achieving operational efficiency in healthcare
I personally believe that addressing language barriers is key to achieving operational efficiency in healthcare, enabling healthcare organisations to streamline communication and enhance the coordination of language services.
By integrating seamlessly with existing healthcare systems and platforms, translation tools such as Wordskii Connect have been proven to improve workflows, reduce delays, and alleviate the administrative burden on staff.
The hidden cost of language barriers
Research has shown that communication barriers can increase the length of hospital stays by up to two weeks, raise the risk of medical errors, and lead to higher readmission rates.
Some healthcare providers may struggle to coordinate interpreters and translation services, leading to inefficient workflows and delays in critical care delivery.
In some cases, care teams may even be forced to rely on ad-hoc solutions, such as using family members as interpreters
In some cases, care teams may even be forced to rely on ad-hoc solutions, such as using family members as interpreters, which can compromise both the accuracy of communication and patient confidentiality.
These inefficiencies add up, impacting both operational budgets and levels of patient care. Language services, when poorly managed, become a bottleneck that hinder the entire healthcare delivery process.
However, when coordinated effectively, these services delivered digitally can enhance the quality of care while reducing the operational strain.
AI-driven solutions can revolutionise language services
A technology-driven approach to language services addresses these challenges head-on, with the opportunity for solutions to leverage artificial intelligence and provide on-demand access to language support, ensuring that healthcare providers can deliver timely, accurate care to all patients.
AI translation tools can empower clinicians to communicate effectively with patients, even before an interpreter is available, and the use of AI-driven phrase banks can be specifically tailored to cover various clinical scenarios, ensuring that critical instructions and questions can be conveyed accurately and quickly.
By reducing the dependency on live interpreters for routine interactions, tools can accelerate patient assessments and enhance the overall patient experience.
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