Raising the bar for language equity health care research

Language is a social determinant and driver of health. Joo and colleagues2 performed a systematic review of perioperative and surgical care that adds to a growing body of literature describing language-related health care disparities. The 29 studies that met their inclusion criteria had mixed results. Most found that patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) experienced reduced access to surgical care, delays in care, and increased likelihood of discharge to a skilled nursing facility. Disparities were not documented in all studies, and in some, disparities varied by language. For example, in 3 studies, disparities were identified for those who spoke a language other than English or Spanish but not for Spanish-speaking patients. There are several reasons why the authors may have found mixed results. As they point out, a lack of consistency in language-related data collection limits comparability across studies. They suggest that health systems ask patients about their language preference and their proficiency in English rather than only asking about one or the other. (author introduction)