Mobile Interpreting Implementation at Mount Sinai Hospital

This case study discusses the implementation of mobile interpreting at Mount Sinai Hospital, one of America's leading healthcare facilities. The hospital adopted the LanguageLine on-demand mobile interpreting app in 2017 to enhance communication with limited English proficient (LEP) patients. Initially deployed on iPads, the app provided access to over 20,000 interpreters in more than 240 languages. The study outlines the hospital's approach to deploying the app on smartphones for hospitalists and physician assistants, facilitating immediate access to interpreters during patient interactions. Feedback from staff and patients indicates that the mobile interpreting solution significantly improved communication, leading to better patient understanding and satisfaction. The case study also highlights the challenges faced prior to implementation, such as the difficulties of using traditional telephonic interpretation services. Lessons learned from this implementation process are shared, including the importance of covering all points of entry and actively soliciting patient feedback to assess the app's impact on care delivery.