Exhibitor blog: The hidden cost of language barriers
Author: Kavita Parmar, Co-founder, Word360
Ahead of the upcoming 10 Year Plan, healthcare organisations across England are facing growing pressure to streamline operations through digital transformation, improve patient outcomes and optimise operational costs. One often-overlooked aspect that significantly impacts these goals is effective communication. With in excess of 150 languages spoken in England, this is particularly valid in diverse communities where patients and care providers may not share the same language, yet translation barriers in healthcare can result in delayed care, misdiagnosis, and adverse health outcomes for patients.
I personally believe that addressing language barriers is key to achieving operational efficiency in healthcare, enabling healthcare organisations to streamline communication and enhance the coordination of language services. By integrating seamlessly with existing healthcare systems and platforms, translation tools such as Wordskii Connect have been proven to improve workflows, reduce delays, and alleviate the administrative burden on staff.
The hidden cost of language barriers
Research has shown that communication barriers can increase the length of hospital stays by up to two weeks, raise the risk of medical errors, and lead to higher readmission rates. Some healthcare providers may struggle to coordinate interpreters and translation services, leading to inefficient workflows and delays in critical care delivery. In some cases, care teams may even be forced to rely on ad-hoc solutions, such as using family members as interpreters, which can compromise both the accuracy of communication and patient confidentiality.
These inefficiencies add up, impacting both operational budgets and levels of patient care. Language services, when poorly managed, become a bottleneck that hinder the entire healthcare delivery process. However, when coordinated effectively, these services delivered digitally can enhance the quality of care while reducing the operational strain.
AI-driven solutions can revolutionise language services
A technology-driven approach to language services addresses these challenges head-on, with the opportunity for solutions to leverage artificial intelligence and provide on-demand access to language support, ensuring that healthcare providers can deliver timely, accurate care to all patients.
AI translation tools can empower clinicians to communicate effectively with patients, even before an interpreter is available, and the use of AI-driven phrase banks can be specifically tailored to cover various clinical scenarios, ensuring that critical instructions and questions can be conveyed accurately and quickly. By reducing the dependency on live interpreters for routine interactions, tools can accelerate patient assessments and enhance the overall patient experience.
Interoperability remains a top priority for healthcare organisations striving to improve efficiency and AI tools can integrate with electronic health record (EHR) systems, scheduling software, and other clinical platforms to provide a seamless workflow for language service coordination. From booking interpreters to tracking patient communication history, these functions can be centralised within existing healthcare infrastructure, eliminating the need for manual coordination and reduces administrative bottlenecks, allowing care teams to focus on delivering high-quality care.
For more detailed conversations or situations that require direct interpreter support, professional interpreters can now also be made available via video or phone, they do not have to physically be in the room. By combining advanced scheduling algorithms with AI-based interpreter matching, trusts can optimise resource allocation, ensuring that language support is available exactly when and where it’s needed. This service ensures that healthcare providers can quickly connect with qualified interpreters no matter where they are located, reducing the risk of delays in emergency or time-sensitive situations.
Driving operational efficiency across healthcare settings
Operational efficiency is about more than cutting costs; it’s about creating a system where all components work in harmony to deliver optimal outcomes. Language solutions contribute to this by addressing a critical pain point in the healthcare workflow and driving efficiency:
• Reduced waiting times: When language services are readily available, patients experience shorter wait times for consultations, diagnostics, and treatments. This helps healthcare providers manage patient flow more effectively.
• Lower administrative burden: Automating the coordination of language services frees up administrative staff to focus on other priorities, reducing workload and minimising errors related to manual scheduling or documentation.
• Improved clinical accuracy: Clear communication between patients and healthcare providers reduces the risk of medical errors, improving clinical outcomes and reducing the need for costly corrective interventions.
• Enhanced resource allocation: AI-powered tools optimise the use of language service resources, ensuring that interpreters and translators are deployed efficiently based on demand and availability.
The future of healthcare communication
As healthcare organisations continue to embrace digital transformation to support our diverse communities, the integration of language services into clinical workflows will play a pivotal role in enabling effective communication and achieving sustainable efficiency gains. AI-driven solutions such as those offered by us at Word360 not only enhance operational performance but also support broader goals around equity and inclusion in healthcare delivery.
Effective communication is a core element of high-quality care, and addressing language barriers is essential to creating a healthcare system that works for everyone. By investing in innovative language support technologies, healthcare providers can optimise their operations, improve patient outcomes, and build a foundation for long-term success.
I’m personally proud to be at the forefront of this transformation, making everyone part of the conversation. Combining digital transformation solutions with a focus on diversity and inclusion, and partnering with the right language services provider could save you tens of thousands of pounds whilst making your services accessible for all.
The Word360 team will be at Rewired at the Birmingham NEC on 18 and 19 March. Visit their stand at pitch L21 to find out more about their award-winning interpretation and translation services for healthcare.
