Hispanics' Limited English Proficiency is a Barrier for Getting Good Health Care Services

Two recent studies (study 1, study 2) have found that Limited English Proficiency (LEP) is a key component for the limited health care services that U.S. Hispanics are getting in the United States. One of the studies is showing that mental health services delivered to the Hispanics community is limited precisely because of Limited English Proficiency.

Both studies are being published in the prestigious medical journal Medical Care, which is a one of the top ten journals in healthcare administration. In the editorial of the November issue of Medical Care Dr. Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable of University of California, San Francisco, states that the care of LEP patients is the doctor's responsibility and that health care providers and policy makers should provide ways, systems, and tools to help doctors cope with this responsibility.

In one of the studies, lead by Dr. Jennifer S. Haas of Brigham Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School around 1700 Hispanics were surveyed. They wanted to evaluate the effect of LEP on key quality health care indicators. All surveyed people had health insurance so results could not be attributed to having or not health insurance.

English proficiency in health care matters was evaluated and found that 40% could be described as "poor or fair." The rest was rated as "good to excellent." The study found that Limited English Proficiency (LEP) (that is 40%) produced the lowest score in three key indicators of health care quality. This 40% group of people was less likely (as much as 100%) to have no regular health care or continues health care when compared to the English proficient group.

The survey also showed that Hispanics with LEP experienced longer waits in the waiting room and troubles getting medical information or advice over the telephone when calling the doctor's office.

In a second study, led Dr. Carlos Blanco of Columbia University, and colleagues used survey data from National studies were used to assess trends in mental health care for U.S. Hispanics.

The study shows that the percentage of doctor's office visits resulting in diagnosis of a mental disorder remained at 5% for Hispanic patients. For non-Hispanic patients, the same indicator increased from 9%.

Prescriptions for drugs used to treat mental disorders (psychotropic medications) decreased for Hispanic patients from about 10 to 9% while for non-Hispanics increased from 10 to 12.5%

This and other key findings of the study are clear proof of the disparity of mental health care that Hispanics are receiving in the United States.

The studies hints that Limited English proficiency appears to be an important factor of the health care disparities among Hispanics and non-Hispanics

Sources:

Haas, J. 2007. Association Between Language Proficiency and the Quality of Primary Care Among a National Sample of Insured Latinos. Medical Care. 45(11):1020-1025, November 2007

Blanco et. Al. 2007. National Trends in Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Care. Medical Care. 45(11):1012-1019, November 2007

Perez-Sable, E. 2007. Language Access and Latino Health Care Disparities. Medical Care. November 2007, Volume 45, Issue 11