Laura Litwin
Project Proposal: Perception of Interpretation Services for Patients with English as a Second Language during Pharmacist-Led Chronic Disease State Management Programs
“While health care settings often have an interpretation service available, it is uncertain how patients [who identify English as their second language (ESL)] perceive these services.”
Dr. Litwin is a PGY1 community pharmacy resident with the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy and Balls Food Stores in Overland Park, KS. The motivation behind her project was inspired by her love of travel and experiencing different cultures, including different languages. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 60 million Americans speak a language other than English at home. Dr. Litwin recognizes how communication barriers between ESL patients and healthcare professionals can lower care satisfaction. These barriesr may also lead ESL patients have decreased treatment adherence, decreased follow-up visits, and increased medication complications.
Laura Litwin aims to assist ESL patients: “As the number of Americans who identify as English as a second language increases, it is important that healthcare professionals utilize appropriate resources to properly care for these patients.”