The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Community Physicians have updated their medical interpretation policies that address how to provide services for patients with additional communication needs. The core requirements of these policies will extend to the rest of the entities within the Johns Hopkins Health System in the coming months.

At JHH, JHBMC and JHCP, staff can access enhanced tools to support interactions with patients, as well as their family members and friends who are deaf and hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted, or who have limited English proficiency (LEP)—including those who use sign language. Medical interpretation services are provided free to these patients and those involved in their medical care.

“Patients have a right to a full understanding of what’s happening and what’s needed during their care, and to participate in their own care,” says Susana Velarde, assistant director of operations, Language Access Services for Johns Hopkins Medicine International.

Staff members who encounter LEP patients, family members and friends—for example, meeting with a hearing child whose parents are deaf or hard of hearing—must use one of the following medical interpretation methods during all medical conversations:

• Over-the-Phone Interpretation, using the phone to connect the patient and staff member to a qualified medical interpreter (non-English spoken languages).
• Video Remote Interpretation, using specially outfitted iPads to connect patients and providers with qualified medical interpretation through real-time video transmission (particularly important for sign language).
• In-Person Interpretation, using a qualified medical interpreter who comes to the patient’s hospital room or doctor’s appointment to interpret for the patient and the clinical team.

Collectively, these interpretation methods enable qualified medical interpretation in more than 200 languages.

Mandatory online training for all staff—clinical and nonclinical—is underway and will eventually extend to all employees throughout the health system.