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

• Main Authors: Monica Eneriz-Wiemer, Lee M. Sanders, Mary McIntyre, Fernando S. Mendoza, D. Phuong Do, C. Jason Wang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-07-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: children’s health; language; healthcare disparities; length of stay; health services research
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/8/1570

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.