--- title: "Does this doctor speak my language? Improving the characterization of physician non-English language skills. | Sutter Health" description: "To describe the initial impact of an organizational policy change on measurement of physician non-English language proficiency." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/improve-characterization-of-md-non-english-skills-1055312681" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. Does this doctor speak my language? Improving the characterization of physician non-English language skills. # Does this doctor speak my language? Improving the characterization of physician non-English language skills. Diamond LC, Luft HS, Chung S, & Jacobs EA. _Health Serv Res. 47(1 Pt 2):556-69. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2011.01338_ 2012-02-01 ## Abstract OBJECTIVE: To describe the initial impact of an organizational policy change on measurement of physician non-English language proficiency. STUDY SETTING: Multispecialty health care organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. STUDY DESIGN/DATA COLLECTION: In response to preliminary findings suggesting that the organization's nonvalidated and undefined three-category tool for physician self-report of non-English language proficiency levels was likely inadequate, the organization asked physicians to rate their non-English language proficiency levels using an adapted Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale, a validated measure with five rating levels and descriptors. We then compared the self-reported language proficiency on the original scale and the ILR for those physicians who completed both and used regression analysis to investigate physician characteristics potentially associated with a change in score on the old versus ILR scales. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Six months after the ILR scale was implemented throughout the organization, 75 percent (258/342) of physicians had updated their language proficiency ratings. Among clinicians who had previously rated themselves in the "Medical/Conversational" category, there were substantial variations in scores using the ILR scale. Physicians who spoke two or more non-English languages were significantly more likely to lower their self-reported proficiency when updating from the old scale to the ILR scale. CONCLUSIONS: The organization was willing to adopt a relatively straightforward change in how data were collected and presented to patients based on the face validity of initial findings. This organizational policy change appeared to improve how self-reported physician language proficiency was characterized. [PubMed abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Does+this+doctor+speak+my+language%3F+Improving+the+charact) ## Research topics - [Health Disparities](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Health+Disparities%5C%22%22) - [Health Services](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Health+Services%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [The 1994-1995 National Health Interview Survey on Disability (NHIS-D): a bibliography of 20 years of research.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/national-health-interview-survey-on-disability-1055312487) Ward BW, Ridolfo H, Creamer L, Gray C. 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Patient Educ Couns. pii: S0738-3991(17)30254-9. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2017.04.020. \[Epub ahead of print\] 2017 May 01 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/improve-characterization-of-md-non-english-skills-1055312681#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Does this doctor speak my language? Improving the characterization of physician non-English language skills."}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/improve-characterization-of-md-non-english-skills-1055312681#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"Does this doctor speak my language? Improving the characterization of physician non-English language skills.","headline":"Does this doctor speak my language? Improving the characterization of physician non-English language skills.","abstract":"OBJECTIVE: To describe the initial impact of an organizational policy change on measurement of physician non-English language proficiency. STUDY SETTING: Multispecialty health care organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. STUDY DESIGN/DATA COLLECTION: In response to preliminary findings suggesting that the organization's nonvalidated and undefined three-category tool for physician self-report of non-English language proficiency levels was likely inadequate, the organization asked physicians to rate their non-English language proficiency levels using an adapted Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale, a validated measure with five rating levels and descriptors. We then compared the self-reported language proficiency on the original scale and the ILR for those physicians who completed both and used regression analysis to investigate physician characteristics potentially associated with a change in score on the old versus ILR scales. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Six months after the ILR scale was implemented throughout the organization, 75 percent (258/342) of physicians had updated their language proficiency ratings. Among clinicians who had previously rated themselves in the \"Medical/Conversational\" category, there were substantial variations in scores using the ILR scale. Physicians who spoke two or more non-English languages were significantly more likely to lower their self-reported proficiency when updating from the old scale to the ILR scale. CONCLUSIONS: The organization was willing to adopt a relatively straightforward change in how data were collected and presented to patients based on the face validity of initial findings. 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