Discovering and Filling Gaps

14 Sep 2011

Before the AF4Q Language Quality Improvement Collaborative (LQIC), staff at Valley Medical Center in Renton, Wash., part of the Puget Sound Alliance, thought language services processes were hardwired, but discovered there were gaps – especially when it came to communicating the patients’ preferred language to clinical staff. In addition to making changes to their registration system, the team educated providers, added a language category to the daily census sheet, placed “I Speak [language]” reminders in patient charts and in the patient room, created an “Interpreter at Discharge” reminder form and included “preferred language” in bedside and hand-off reports.