Section 1557 Has Changed the Rules: Language Access Is No Longer Optional

By Fawad Aslam - A patient who cannot explain her symptoms is a patient at risk. A discharge plan that is not understood is a readmission waiting to happen. Communication failures driven by language barriers affect diagnosis, treatment adherence, informed consent, and patient safety, and for more than 26 million Americans with limited English proficiency, they are a routine feature of seeking…