title: Access to hospital interpreter services for limited English proficient patients in New Jersey: a statewide evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We surveyed New Jersey (NJ) hospitals to assess current language services and identify policy recommendations on meeting limited English proficiency (LEP) patients' needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey with 37 questions regarding hospital/patient features, interpreter services, and resources/policies needed to provide quality interpreter services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-seven hospitals responded (55% response rate). Most NJ hospitals have no interpreter services department, 80% provide no staff training on working with interpreters, 31% lack multilingual signs, and 19% offer no written translation services. Only 3% of hospitals have full-time interpreters, a ratio of 1 interpreter:240,748 LEP NJ residents. Most hospitals stated third-party reimbursement for interpreters would be beneficial, by reducing costs, adding interpreters, meeting population growth, and improving communication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most NJ hospitals have no full-time interpreters, interpreter services department, or staff training on working with interpreters, and deficiencies exist in hospital signage and translation services. Most NJ hospitals stated third-party reimbursement for interpreter services would be beneficial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA. Glenn.Flores@UTSouthwestern.edu
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Linda Janet
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Salas-Lopez
authors.forename: Mara K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Youdelman
authors.forename: Sandra C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tomany-Korman
mesh_terms: D003144:Communication Barriers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000191:economics; D007802:Language; D019303:Multilingualism; D009515:New Jersey; D013192:Staff Development; D013689:Telephone; D014175:Translating