Access barrier

Studies in which language is investigated as a barrier to obtaining health care services.

Acculturation

Studies that use language as a measure of acculturation or examine the influence of acculturation on the primary outcomes of the study.

Ad hoc interpreting

Studies that examine the effect of interpreting by untrained interpreters, such as family and friends or untrained bilingual staff and providers.

Adherence    

Studies that assess patient adherence to recommended treatment, such as medication use and keeping follow-up appointments.

Communication analysis

Studies that record the verbal exchange of a medical encounter for analysis.

Comparison study

Studies with an explicit comparison of English-speakers to people with limited English proficiency.

Comprehension

Studies that evaluate patient comprehension related to a health care encounter, such as understanding of diagnosis, medications, etc.

Cost

Studies that provide documentation of the monetary cost of language barriers or providing interpreter services.

Duration

Studies that document the measured or self-reported impact of language barriers or interpreter use on provider time.

Educational intervention

Studies that include an intervention to teach students, residents, or providers how to speak a language or how to better communicate with limited English proficient patients.

Efficacy

Studies that measure the effect of trained or professional interpreters on outcomes.*

Health beliefs

Studies that explore the contribution of health beliefs to the primary study outcomes.

Institutional policy

Studies that reference a hospital or other health care institution’s policies regarding clients with limited English proficiency.

Insurance

Studies that explore the relationship between language and health insurance, or examine the effect of insurance on the primary study outcomes.

Interpreter preference

Studies that investigate patient or provider preference for interpreting, either type of interpreter (e.g. family and friends) or modality of interpreting (e.g. telephonic).

Interpreter role

Studies that examine the different roles interpreters can play, such as culture broker, translator, etc.

Interpreting practices

Studies that document the types of interpreting practices used by providers or by a health care institution.

Language concordance

Studies in which the provider and patient speak the same language.

Medical language

Studies that investigate the difficulty of either interpreting or understanding formal medical language.

Need

Studies that document or quantify patient or provider need for language assistance or medical interpreting services.

Outcomes (measured)

Studies that examine the relationship between language and measured outcomes, including utilization and health status measures.

Outcomes (patient reported)

Studies that examine the relationship between language and patient-reported outcomes, including utilization and health status.

Patient satisfaction

Studies that examine the relationship between language and reported patient satisfaction.

Prevention

Studies that investigate the relationship between language and provision of preventive care, such as cancer screening or immunizations.

Professional interpreting

Studies that examine the effect of interpreting by professional or staff interpreters.*

Qualitative study

Studies whose primary methodology consists of focus groups, semi-structured interviews, or participant observation data.

Research methodology

Studies that examine how language impacts research enrollment or methodology.

Utilization

Studies of the relationship between language and utilization of health care, either measured or patient-reported, including testing, hospital admission, etc.