In-Person Interpreter Use and Hospital Length of Stay among Infants with Low Birth Weight

Monica Eneriz-Wiemer, Lee M. Sanders, Mary McIntyre, Fernando S. Mendoza, D. Phuong Do and C. Jason Wang
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Monica Eneriz-Wiemer: Department of Pediatrics, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA
Lee M. Sanders: Division of General Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Mary McIntyre: Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
Fernando S. Mendoza: Division of General Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
D. Phuong Do: Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
C. Jason Wang: Division of General Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-9

Abstract: To ensure timely appropriate care for low-birth-weight (LBW) infants, healthcare providers must communicate effectively with parents, even when language barriers exist. We sought to evaluate whether non-English primary language (NEPL) and professional in-person interpreter use were associated with differential hospital length of stay for LBW infants, who may incur high healthcare costs. We analyzed data for 2047 infants born between 1 January 2008 and 30 April 2013 with weight <2500 g at one hospital with high NEPL prevalence. We evaluated relationships of NEPL and in-person interpreter use on length of stay, adjusting for medical severity. Overall, 396 (19%) had NEPL parents. Fifty-three percent of NEPL parents had documented interpreter use. Length of stay ranged from 1 to 195 days (median 11). Infants of NEPL parents with no interpreter use had a 49% shorter length of stay (adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.43–0.61) compared to English-speakers. Infants of parents with NEPL and low interpreter use (<25% of hospital days) had a 26% longer length of stay (adjusted IRR 1.26, 95% CI 1.06–1.51). NEPL and high interpreter use (>25% of hospital days) showed a trend for an even longer length of stay. Unmeasured clinical and social/cultural factors may contribute to differences in length of stay.

Keywords: children’s health; language; healthcare disparities; length of stay; health services research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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