Promising Practices for
Addressing Disparities
ABOUT addressing disparities
Although the quality of health care is poor for many Americans, some patients of specific racial and ethnic groups continue to experience lower-quality health care than white patients. For patients who speak a language other than English, communicating in a language they understand is critical for receiving safe, high-quality care. Measuring how care is delivered to different patient populations can help address racial and ethnic disparities in health care by targeting efforts to close the gaps in care. Health care systems need better tools to address racial and ethnic disparities in health care—such as programs that effectively use data to target disparities and improve language access.
Quick Facts
- With few exceptions, all racial and ethnic minorities experience higher rates of illness and death than nonminorities.
- Minorities are less likely to be given appropriate cardiac medications or undergo bypass surgery.
- Collecting a patient’s preferred language information at registration enhances an organization’s ability to examine and improve its processes to ensure equitable care is provided to all patients.
More from Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q)
Latest: Disparities
Care Managers for Perinatal Depression
May 2, 2013Lancaster General Health added depression care managers to the team of perinatal providers in order to ensure attention is paid to this disorder.
EHR “Alerts” Increase Use of Interpreters
St. Mary's hospital used its EHR system to increase the use of qualified interpreter services during admission from 44 percent to 73 percent over seven months, and during discharge from 26 percent to 60 percent.
Interpreters to Ensure Patients Receive Instructions in Their Native Language
February 26, 2013Oregon Health and Science University saw a 65 percent improvement in ensuring patients with limited English proficiency have an interpreter during admission and discharge.
iPod Touch, Not Beeper, Better Dispatches Interpreters
February 6, 2013St. Elizabeth's Medical Center used iPod touches to streamline interpreter service requests and decreased the response time for services by more than 50 percent.
Telephone Access to Interpreters Saves Time
February 6, 2013St. Elizabeth’s created a portable telephonic interpretation system known as the Interpreter Phone on a Pole, or IPOP.
Modifying the Admission Process to Improve the Collection and Accuracy of REL Data Collection
September 29, 2010Methodist North Hospital implemented changes in the hospital electronic medical record (EMR) and patient in-take process to improve the collection and accuracy of REL data collection.
Modifying the Registration System to Accurately and Efficiently Capture Patient Language Preference
September 29, 2010Beaumont Hospital changed hospital registration and record-keeping system so that they do not automatically input English as the default language for the patient.
Ensuring REL Data Collection with the Use of a Post-Discharge Survey Tool
September 29, 2010Mercy Health Partners wanted to ensure patients are being asked about their race, ethnicity and preferred language (REL).