The United States is growing increasingly more diverse, with racial and ethnic minorities making up roughly 40% of the population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 25 million Americans speak the English language "less than very well". Among these individuals, 8.6% are at risk for adverse events during care due to challenges associated with their language skills, presenting a growing challenge for healthcare organizations across the nation.
The use of interpreters has been proved to reduce some of these barriers while improving the quality of care, treatment adherence, and outcomes for non-native speakers. Numerous studies have shown the positive benefits of professional interpreters for communication, clinical outcomes and satisfaction of care.
