Make pediatric language access a strength of your health system. This whitepaper shows health system leaders how a child-centered approach puts children at ease and strengthens family trust, supporting your quality and equity goals. The focus is the child’s experience of connecting to an interpreter, not the clinical workflow behind it.
About 10.8 million U.S. children under 9 are dual language learners, and 42 percent of those ages 0 to 5 have at least one parent who speaks English less than “very well.” Most language access programs were built for adults, and one pediatric emergency department study found that fewer than half of visits with families who preferred another language included documented professional interpretation.
Inside, you’ll learn:
- Where conventional language access has room to grow for young patients and their caregivers
- What pediatric psychology and child life practice teach about helping children feel at ease
- How a three-part design framework built on comfort, clarity, and predictability makes the interpreter connection screen more welcoming for pediatric patients
- How child-centered language access supports child HCAHPS, equity, and quality goals