As of 2011, 25.3 million people in the United States had limited English proficiency (LEP). This number includes people born outside and inside the United States (Zong and Batalova, 2015). Spanish is the most spoken language in the United States after English, with increases in other non-English languages occurring as the United States continues to diversify (Gonzalez-Barrera and Lopez, 2013). This population shift has major implications for health equity and health literacy.
One important strategy to address health equity and patient-centered care is the translation of health materials used by health providers. Translations of health-related materials are not as straightforward as you might think. In this commentary the authors provide their perspective on how to proceed to ensure equity in translated health materials.
Population of focus: Health care providers, policy makers, public health officials
Links to resource:
Date: 2015
Organization: National Academy of Medicine