Patients with limited English proficiency can feel overwhelmed in a health care setting because of communication difficulties. Enter a new multifaceted initiative, Hablamos Juntos (We Speak Together), created by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to find affordable solutions to language barriers in health care.
Finding Solutions to Language Barriers
Initiative Creates Universal Health Care Symbols
By Sheri Porter
1/25/2006
One arm of the initiative -- Signs That Work -- involves the creation and testing of symbols for use in settings such as hospitals, clinics and physician offices.
"It's impractical to think about signage in multiple languages because you never know which (language) group you're serving," said Yolanda Partida, initiative director. "Pictures are a common language."
"This program is the beginning of something that has a lot more potential," said Partida. She encourages physicians to download the images and other resource material from the Hablamos Juntos Web site and begin using the symbols in office signage, print materials and even on their medical practices' Web sites.
Created by the Society for Environmental Graphic Design with input from RWJ, the symbols are in the public domain and are available as PDF files. There is no charge for physicians to use them; however, each image is copyrighted and must not be altered.
Some of the symbols -- such as those relating to patient registration, medical records, a waiting area, pediatrics and OB/GYN -- very much apply to family medicine practices, said Partida. The symbols can "help improve people's understanding of where they are and what they're looking at," she said.
What sets this set of symbols apart from others -- such as images on some prescription medications -- is that they were given a test drive before their release, said Partida.
As part of the testing phase, 300 multilingual testers from four language groups -- English, Spanish, Indo-European and Asian -- provided input on the symbols, and at least 87 percent of the multilingual testers understood 17 of the 28 symbols. The symbols were then placed in four hospitals for more exposure and the feedback was positive.
"It's impractical to think about signage in multiple languages because you never know which (language) group you're serving," said Yolanda Partida, initiative director. "Pictures are a common language."
"This program is the beginning of something that has a lot more potential," said Partida. She encourages physicians to download the images and other resource material from the Hablamos Juntos Web site and begin using the symbols in office signage, print materials and even on their medical practices' Web sites.
Created by the Society for Environmental Graphic Design with input from RWJ, the symbols are in the public domain and are available as PDF files. There is no charge for physicians to use them; however, each image is copyrighted and must not be altered.
Some of the symbols -- such as those relating to patient registration, medical records, a waiting area, pediatrics and OB/GYN -- very much apply to family medicine practices, said Partida. The symbols can "help improve people's understanding of where they are and what they're looking at," she said.
What sets this set of symbols apart from others -- such as images on some prescription medications -- is that they were given a test drive before their release, said Partida.
As part of the testing phase, 300 multilingual testers from four language groups -- English, Spanish, Indo-European and Asian -- provided input on the symbols, and at least 87 percent of the multilingual testers understood 17 of the 28 symbols. The symbols were then placed in four hospitals for more exposure and the feedback was positive.
- More than 75 percent of people tested found the symbols more helpful than text because the symbols were easier to see and understand.
- More than 80 percent of hospital staff interviewed thought the symbols would ease the process of giving directions to patients and visitors.
- English speakers preferred the symbols to text.
"We'd like to see physicians experiment with the symbols in their offices, and we'd like to hear about how people are using them," said Partida. "Over time … the successes they find will tell the rest of the story."
Hablamos Juntos is also developing Spanish health care materials and working to improve interpreter services in the U.S. health care system. More information about those facets of the initiative is also available at the Web site.
Hablamos Juntos is also developing Spanish health care materials and working to improve interpreter services in the U.S. health care system. More information about those facets of the initiative is also available at the Web site.
