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Language Barriers In Health Care, Lauren Houle

Senior Honors Projects

Language barriers in health care are a growing concern for patients and health care providers. According to the 2000 U. S. Census, there is an increasing number of people who spoke a language other than English at home. This number increased from 14 percent (31.8 million) in 1990 to 18 percent (47 million) in 2000 (Shin & Bruno, 2003). Studies have shown that patients with limited English proficiency have less access to care, poorer adherence to treatment regimens and consequently contribute to increased health disparities. This issue is of particular importance for nurses due to the intimate contact and need …