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Office for Civil Rights
Statement of Winston A. Wilkinson, J.D.
Director of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Effective Communication in Hospitals Initiative
Providing Better Health Care through a New National Initiative: Meeting Patient and Companion Communication Challenges
Access to health care, patient safety and quality of health care are directly dependent on effective communication. Ineffective communication can lead to improper diagnosis and delayed or improper treatment for persons who are limited English proficient (LEP) or who are deaf or hard of hearing (target populations). Hospitals regularly encounter these individuals, and America's increasingly diverse population presents new challenges to ensuring that all patients have access to quality health care.
I am pleased to have this opportunity to tell you about the Effective Communication in Hospitals Initiative, a new national technical assistance initiative that OCR has launched to provide hospitals strategies and resources that they can use to respond to these challenges. This initiative is consistent with OCR's mission to ensure that all people have access to health care without facing unlawful discrimination.[i] Ultimately, our goal is to help ensure effective communication in hospital settings with patients and their companions who are LEP or are deaf or hard of hearing so that all persons have an equal opportunity to access safe, quality health care.
Collaboration with National and State Leaders in the Health Care Community
To ensure success and achieve the greatest impact in our efforts, OCR is partnering with members of the health care community both at the national level and at the regional and state levels. On the national level, we are especially pleased that the American Hospital Association (AHA) and its affiliates, the Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET) and the Institute for Diversity (IFD) decided to collaborate with OCR. AHA, HRET, IFD, and OCR will work together to exchange and broadly disseminate information and resource materials so all hospitals can benefit from the information and best practices developed through this initiative.
On the regional and state levels, OCR's ten regional offices and at least one state hospital association in each region will collaborate to develop a technical assistance program tailored to the needs of the individual association and its member hospitals. The four core elements of this collaboration are:
Assessment of the issues and concerns of the state's hospitals regarding effective communication with the target populations; Development and implementation of educational and other activities to effectively and efficiently improve language access for the target populations; Evaluation of both the process and the outcomes of the collaborative efforts; and Sharing the results of these efforts in a manner that will assist other hospitals and state associations facing similar issues nationwide.
I am happy to report that hospital associations in thirteen states have agreed to partner with OCR regional offices in this initiative: Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, and Washington.
A Helping Hand for Hospitals: Tools, Training, Technical Assistance and More
Our regional offices bring to the table experienced staff who can assist state hospital associations and their members in developing a process for assessing the communication needs of patients and companions; identifying tools, strategies, best practices, educational materials, and other resources for providing access to the target populations; and identifying potential resources and creative approaches to cover costs, OCR also can provide technical assistance and training on how to respond appropriately and efficiently to the communication needs of the target populations;.
Of course, the state associations are critical to the success of the initiative, given their leadership with member hospitals, expertise regarding state and local issues, excellent communication vehicles, and ability to coordinate presentations and meetings where hospitals can share their experiences and success stories.
As some may know, OCR has already launched a dedicated web on "Hospitals and Effective Communication," www.hhs.gov/ocr/hospitalcommunication.html to help hospitals develop strategies to resolve communication access issues unique to their environment. The web page includes regulations, fact sheets, guidance, videos, and examples of voluntary compliance activities. OCR expects to develop additional materials for the webpage through its collaborations with the state hospital associations in particular, information about strategies and approaches that some hospitals have found effective for communication with the target populations.
Ongoing Opportunities for Working Together
This Effective Communication in Hospitals Initiative is, and will continue to be, one of my highest priorities. My staff will be reaching out to other state hospital associations when we near the conclusion of this initial phase of the initiative. This outreach may take different forms. In some circumstances, OCR may work with the state hospital association to develop another similar collaborative relationship and through it, a program individually tailored to fit the needs of the association and its members.
In other circumstances, OCR may provide more general technical assistance and a range of resource materials to the state hospital association and member hospitals. I hope that hospitals or state hospital associations that are facing challenges in meeting the communication needs of the target populations will also reach out and join us in ensuring that all patients have an equal opportunity to access quality health care.
[i] OCR is responsible for enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin by recipients of Federal financial assistance; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by recipients of Federal financial assistance; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities, including providers of health care.
Last revised: July 18, 2007
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