The Impact of Non-English Language Preference on Pediatric Hospital Outcomes

Language and parental satisfaction during inpatient stay: A pilot survey study in a quaternary pediatric hospital

BACKGROUND

Considering the significant volume of non-English speakers seeking medical care in the United States and the challenges they may encounter within the hospital environment, it is necessary to assess the satisfaction of non-English-speaking families during their hospital stays and to determine potential areas of improvement in order to optimize care.

AIMS

We aimed to evaluate and describe the satisfaction of Arabic-, Spanish-, and English-speaking families at a quaternary pediatric hospital. From the measures assessed, we sought to identify perceived strengths and weaknesses of the inpatient experience for families who spoke different languages. In doing so, we aimed to identify ways to improve the hospital experience for patients and their families.

METHODS

We created a 23-item satisfaction questionnaire that was vetted by the hospital's Global Services Department, professionally translated into Arabic and Spanish, and tested by native speakers. The survey contained questions pertaining to parent/guardian demographics, their experience with the hospital environment, and their care team or services. Using the questionnaire, we surveyed Arabic-, Spanish-, and English-speaking parents/guardians of post-procedural patients under 18 years of age in intensive care units (ICUs) and on inpatient floors.

RESULTS

A total of 162 surveys were collected with roughly equal distribution across the three language groups (52 Arabic, 53 Spanish, 57 English). We found no statistically significant difference in satisfaction scores across the three language groups, nor across self-reported English-proficient and non-English-proficient Arabic and Spanish respondents. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in satisfaction between parents/guardians in ICUs and those on inpatient floors.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot survey suggests that inclusivity and availability of interpretation resources play a role in successfully creating an environment where both English and non-English speakers are satisfied. Further development and validation of the survey instrument should be performed, along with testing at other institutions.

Communication Training for Pediatric Hospitalists and its Impact on Clinical Practice with Families Using Languages Other than English

OBJECTIVE

Providing equitable health care for children of families speaking Language Other than English (LOE) relies on linguistic services, including interpretation and translation. Inadequate education on effectively utilizing linguistic services can lead to a knowledge gap and subsequent challenges in leveraging these services. This study aims to evaluate the educational training provided to pediatric hospitalists and its association with clinical practice.

METHODS

A multicenter cross-sectional survey of pediatric hospitalists was conducted through the Pediatric Research in Inpatient Setting (PRIS) network, a hospital-based independent research network. The survey was distributed to PRIS site leads with one response per institution. Associations between educational training received on proper communication with families speaking LOE and practice behaviors were analyzed using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

We received responses from 72 out of 112 PRIS hospital site-leads. Among the respondents, 56% did not receive training on communication during their Graduate Medical Education years (residency or fellowship); 47% did not receive training at their current workplace. Only 6% of those receiving workplace training reported annual updates or refresher courses. Furthermore, 26% of respondents rated the training as "good," while 35% considered it "fair." Respondents who received training during Graduate Medical Education years and at their workplace reported that they asserted/advocated more on behalf of patients speaking LOE than those who did not (P < .01).

CONCLUSION

Pediatric hospitalists lack adequate training to communicate effectively with families speaking LOE. Increased training is associated with increased advocacy. Further work should explore increasing communication training and its effect on patient outcomes.

Low-Resource Hospital Days for Children Following New Tracheostomy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Children with new tracheostomy and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) require transitional care involving caregiver education and nursing support. To better understand hospital resource use during this transition, our study aimed to: (1) define and characterize low-resource days (LRDs) for this population and (2) identify factors associated with LRD occurrence.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort analysis included children ≤21 years with new tracheostomy and IMV dependence admitted to an ICU from 2017 to 2022 using the Pediatric Health Information System database. A LRD was defined as a post tracheostomy day that accrued nonroom charges <10% of each patient's accrued nonroom charges on postoperative day 1. Factors associated with LRDs were analyzed using negative binomial regression.

RESULTS

Among 4048 children, median post tracheostomy stay was 69 days (interquartile range 34-127.5). LRDs were common: 38.6% and 16.4% experienced ≥1 and ≥7 LRDs, respectively. Younger age at tracheostomy (0-7 days rate ratio [RR] 2.42 [1.67-3.51]; 8-28 days RR 1.8 (1.2-2.69) versus 29-365 days; Asian race (RR 1.5 [1.04-2.16]); early tracheostomy (0-7 days RR 1.56 [1.2-2.04]), and longer post tracheostomy hospitalizations (31-60 days RR 1.85 [1.44-2.36]; 61-90 days RR 2.14 [1.58-2.91]; >90 days RR 2.21 [1.71-2.86]) were associated with more LRDs.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 1 in 6 children experienced ≥7 LRDs. Younger age, early tracheostomy, Asian race, and longer hospital stays were associated with increased risk of LRDs. Understanding the postacute phase, including bed utilization, serves as an archetype to explore care models for children with IMV dependence.

Association between language discordance and unplanned hospital readmissions or emergency department revisits: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Studies conflict about whether language discordance increases rates of hospital readmissions or emergency department (ED) revisits for adult and paediatric patients. The literature was systematically reviewed to investigate the association between language discordance and hospital readmission and ED revisit rates.

DATA SOURCES

Searches were performed in PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar on 21 January 2021, and updated on 27 October 2022. No date or language limits were used.

STUDY SELECTION

Articles that (1) were peer-reviewed publications; (2) contained data about patient or parental language skills and (3) included either unplanned hospital readmission or ED revisit as one of the outcomes, were screened for inclusion. Articles were excluded if: unavailable in English; contained no primary data or inaccessible in a full-text form (eg, abstract only).

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two reviewers independently extracted data using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-extension for scoping reviews guidelines. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to assess data quality. Data were pooled using DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models. We performed a meta-analysis of 18 adult studies for 28-day or 30-day hospital readmission; 7 adult studies of 30-day ED revisits and 5 paediatric studies of 72-hour or 7-day ED revisits. We also conducted a stratified analysis by whether access to interpretation services was verified/provided for the adult readmission analysis.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Odds of hospital readmissions within a 28-day or 30-day period and ED revisits within a 7-day period.

RESULTS

We generated 4830 citations from all data sources, of which 49 (12 paediatric; 36 adult; 1 with both adult and paediatric) were included. In our meta-analysis, language discordant adult patients had increased odds of hospital readmissions (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.18). Among the 4 studies that verified interpretation services for language discordant patient-clinician interactions, there was no difference in readmission (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.05), while studies that did not specify interpretation service access/use found higher odds of readmission (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.22). Adult patients with a non-dominant language preference had higher odds of ED revisits (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.004 to 1.152) compared with adults with a dominant language preference. In 5 paediatric studies, children of parents language discordant with providers had higher odds of ED revisits at 72 hours (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.19) and 7 days (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03) compared with patients whose parents had language concordant communications.

DISCUSSION

Adult patients with a non-dominant language preference have more hospital readmissions and ED revisits, and children with parents who have a non-dominant language preference have more ED revisits. Providing interpretation services may mitigate the impact of language discordance and reduce hospital readmissions among adult patients.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022302871.

Medical Complexity, Language Use, and Outcomes in the Pediatric ICU

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether use of a language other than English (LOE) would be associated with medical complexity, and whether medical complexity and LOE together would be associated with worse clinical outcomes.

METHODS

The primary outcome of this single-site retrospective cohort study of PICU encounters from September 1, 2017, through August 31, 2022 was an association between LOE and medical complexity. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed between demographic factors and medical complexity, both for unique patients and for all encounters. We investigated outcomes of initial illness severity (using Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2), length of stay (LOS), days without mechanical ventilation or organ dysfunction using a mixed effects regression model, controlling for age, sex, race and ethnicity, and insurance status.

RESULTS

There were 6802 patients and 10 011 encounters. In multivariable analysis for all encounters, Spanish use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.49) and language other than English or Spanish (LOES) (aOR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.02-1.80) were associated with medical complexity. Among unique patients, there remained an association between use of Spanish and medical complexity in multivariable analysis (aOR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.05-1.52) but not between LOES and medical complexity (aOR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.92-1.83). Children with medical complexity (CMC) who used an LOES had fewer organ dysfunction-free days (P = .003), PICU LOS was 1.53 times longer (P = .01), and hospital LOS was 1.45 times longer (P = .01) compared with CMC who used English.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of an LOE was independently associated with medical complexity. CMC who used an LOES had a longer LOS.

Effects of Sociodemographic and Child Opportunity Index on Pediatric Plastic and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Volume Trends in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused disruptions to pediatric surgical care. Although surgical capacity has returned to the prepandemic state, barriers to surgical access may still exist for children who are medically underserved. We assessed pediatric plastic and oral and maxillofacial surgical volumes by sociodemographic characteristics before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A 72-month retrospective cohort analysis of 10,681 pediatric plastic and oral and maxillofacial procedures between 2016 and 2021 was conducted. Multivariable logistic regression and interrupted time series analyses were used to analyze surgical volume trends by sociodemographic groups and Child Opportunity Index (COI).

Results

Compared with prepandemic, patients undergoing procedures were more likely to be older than 18 years (P < 0.001) and Hispanic/Latino (adjusted odds ratio 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-1.68; P < 0.01). Surgical volume trends among patients from the lowest COI levels were lower than where they were estimated to have been if the pandemic did not occur (P = 0.040). Patients who spoke a primary language other than English or Spanish (P = 0.02) and patients with the lowest COI levels (P = 0.04) continued to have unrecovered surgical volumes.

Conclusions

There were differences in the sociodemographic case-mix of patients undergoing plastic and oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures before and during the pandemic, and surgical volumes did not recover at the same rate for all patients. Further research can determine why certain sociodemographic groups and patients with low COI levels had decreased surgical access compared with prepandemic trends, and develop interventions focused on equitable pediatric surgical access.

Child Opportunity Index and Pediatric Intensive Care Outcomes: A Multicenter Retrospective Study in the United States

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate for associations between a child's neighborhood, as categorized by Child Opportunity Index (COI 2.0), and 1) PICU mortality, 2) severity of illness at PICU admission, and 3) PICU length of stay (LOS).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Fifteen PICUs in the United States.

PATIENTS

Children younger than 18 years admitted from 2019 to 2020, excluding those after cardiac procedures. Nationally-normed COI category (very low, low, moderate, high, very high) was determined for each admission by census tract, and clinical features were obtained from the Virtual Pediatric Systems LLC (Los Angeles, CA) data from each site.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Among 33,901 index PICU admissions during the time period, median patient age was 4.9 years and PICU mortality was 2.1%. There was a higher percentage of admissions from the very low COI category (27.3%) than other COI categories (17.2-19.5%, p < 0.0001). Patient admissions from the high and very high COI categories had a lower median Pediatric Index of Mortality 3 risk of mortality (0.70) than those from the very low, low, and moderate COI groups (0.71) ( p < 0.001). PICU mortality was lowest in the very high (1.7%) and high (1.9%) COI groups and highest in the moderate group (2.5%), followed by very low (2.3%) and low (2.2%) ( p = 0.001 across categories). Median PICU LOS was between 1.37 and 1.50 days in all COI categories. Multivariable regression revealed adjusted odds of PICU mortality of 1.30 (95% CI, 0.94-1.79; p = 0.11) for children from a very low versus very high COI neighborhood, with an odds ratio [OR] of 0.996 (95% CI, 0.993-1.00; p = 0.05) for mortality for COI as an ordinal value from 0 to 100. Children without insurance coverage had an OR for mortality of 3.58 (95% CI, 2.46-5.20; p < 0.0001) as compared with those with commercial insurance.

CONCLUSIONS

Children admitted to a cohort of U.S. PICUs were often from very low COI neighborhoods. Children from very high COI neighborhoods had the lowest risk of mortality and observed mortality; however, odds of mortality were not statistically different by COI category in a multivariable model. Children without insurance coverage had significantly higher odds of PICU mortality regardless of neighborhood.

Impact of health disparity on pediatric infections

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the health disparities among minoritized children due to structural racism and socioeconomic inequalities. This review discusses how health disparities affect pediatric infections and how they can be addressed.

RECENT FINDINGS

In addition to disparities in healthcare access due to poverty, geography, and English-language proficiency, implicit and explicit bias affects the healthcare quality and subsequent outcomes in children and adolescents with infections. Disparities in clinical trial enrollment affect the generalizability of research findings. Physicians who understand their patients' languages and the contexts of culture and socioeconomic conditions are better equipped to address the needs of specific populations and the health disparities among them.

SUMMARY

Addressing disparities in pediatric infections requires prioritization of efforts to increase physician workforce diversity in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, as well as education in bias reduction and culturally sensitive clinical practice, in addition to socioeconomic interventions that improve healthcare access, delivery, and outcomes.