title: Transitions from hospital to community care: the role of patient-provider language concordance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cultural and language discordance between patients and providers constitutes a significant challenge to provision of quality healthcare. This study aims to evaluate minority patients' discharge from hospital to community care, specifically examining the relationship between patient-provider language concordance and the quality of transitional care.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a multi-method prospective study of care transitions of 92 patients: native Hebrew, Russian or Arabic speakers, with a pre-discharge questionnaire and structured observations examining discharge preparation from a large Israeli teaching hospital. Two weeks post-discharge patients were surveyed by phone, on the transition from hospital to community care (the Care Transition Measure (CTM-15, 0-100 scale)) and on the primary-care post-discharge visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, ratings on the CTM indicated fair quality of the transition process (scores of 51.8 to 58.8). Patient-provider language concordance was present in 49% of minority patients' discharge briefings. Language concordance was associated with higher CTM scores among minority groups (64.1 in language-concordant versus 49.8 in non-language-concordant discharges, P <0.001). Other aspects significantly associated with CTM scores: extent of discharge explanations (P <0.05), quality of discharge briefing (P <0.001), and post-discharge explanations by the primary care physician (P <0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Language-concordant care, coupled with extensive discharge briefings and post-discharge explanations for ongoing care, are important contributors to the quality of care transitions of ethnic minority patients.
authors: School of Public Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, Haifa University, Mount Carmel 31905, Israel.
authors: Nosaiba
authors: N
authors: Rayan
authors: Rambam Medical Campus: Nursing Division, Haifa 31096, Israel.
authors: Hanna
authors: H
authors: Admi
authors: The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, Haifa University, Mount Carmel 31905, Israel.
authors: Efrat
authors: E
authors: Shadmi
keywords: Cultural differences; Language concordance; Minority patients; Quality of care; Transitional care