University of Kentucky HealthCare helps patients have a better experience from the moment they walk in the door. CyraCom recently interviewed UK HealthCare’s Language Services Director, Sarah Hesler, to hear how she uses translation to make the existing check-in processes for English speakers accessible to LEP patients.
Here’s an excerpt describing how UK HealthCare solved LEP patient check-in confusion. We also have the full case study, which you can read here: https://www.cyracominternational.com/uk-healthcare/
One of UK HealthCare’s OB clinics has a high percentage of LEP patients, as it’s located in a neighborhood where many immigrant and refugee communities are forming. The clinic often had a bottleneck at the front desk and requested additional dual-handset interpretation phones to resolve the issue.
When Hesler went to the clinic to observe the check-in process and talk with the staff, she discovered that many patients didn’t know what to do when they entered the clinic. There was a sign-in sheet, but LEP patients didn’t know they were supposed to add their names and wait to be called to the front desk. Some patients went directly to the front desk to get help, while others would sit down without letting the staff know they were there.
Hesler and the clinic staff brainstormed ideas and realized additional interpreter phones in the lobby wouldn’t solve the problem. Instead, they found a translation solution.
UK HealthCare worked with CyraCom to create “Welcome Cards” in the clinic’s top 12 languages. The cards explain the check-in process in a simple, step-by-step format. With the help of the cards, patients could follow the steps and have the necessary documents ready when called to the front desk. This simple solution resolved the bottleneck at the front desk and made the clinic’s check-in process more efficient.
Check out the full case study here: https://www.cyracominternational.com/uk-healthcare/