Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40670214›Full record

ArticleJoint Commission journal on quality and patient safety2025

Language-Concordant Health Care: Implementation of a Bilingual Competency Program.

Nkiru Ogbuefi, Alexandra Forauer, Maryana Kovalchuk, Javier Gonzalez, Catalina Gomez Luna, Yunshan Niu, Francesca Gany, Lisa C Diamond

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. When Language is Care.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Nkiru Ogbuefi
Alexandra Forauer
Maryana Kovalchuk
Javier Gonzalez
Catalina Gomez Luna
Yunshan Niu
Francesca Gany
Lisa C Diamond

Funding

X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHYP30CA008748 · NCI · SLOAN-KETTERING INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RES · PI Hongbiao Carl Lekaye · 1985 to 2026
$347.4M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA008748
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLanguage proficiency among health care professionals is essential for delivering equitable, high-quality care to patients with a non-English language preference (NELP). This study examines how implementing a Bilingual Competency Program (BCP) for diverse clinical staff enhances patient-centered care and improves the health care experience for NELP patients.

methodsThis quality improvement initiative describes implementation of the BCP at an urban cancer center. Staff self-assessed their language skills using the adapted Interagency Language Roundtable Scale for Healthcare (ILR-H) and recorded this in the organization's human resources platform. Those self-rating as excellent attested to their proficiency and enrolled by signing an electronic statement. Those rating themselves as very good or good took an oral proficiency test. Those who passed joined the BCP, while those self-assessing as fair or poor were not included.

resultsA total of 935 employees joined the program, representing 1,087 unique language entries across 67 languages, with Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, and Hindi being most common. Out of 1,087 unique entries, 641 (59.0%) self-assessed as excellent, 269 (24.7%) as very good (75.0% of whom [60/80] passed the proficiency test), and 130 (12.0%) as good (58.8% of whom [20/34] passed). Most participants (71.8%) were in patient-facing roles, and 68.7% held clinical positions. Of 1,087 unique entries, 721 (66.3%) were verified for language proficiency, 641 through self-assessment and 80 through formal testing.

conclusionThe BCP enhances linguistic competency by integrating validated assessments and evidence-based methods, addressing prior program limitations, and setting a new standard for improving health equity, care quality, and outcomes for NELP patients.

Indexed as

Health PersonnelMultilingualismPatient-Centered CareQuality ImprovementCancer Care FacilitiesCommunication BarriersHumans

Identifiers

PMID40670214
PMCPMC12685362

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.