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319073
Increasing Asian language interpreting services utilization through video education in Medicaid Managed Care


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Nai Kasick, MPH, CHES, Health Education, Cultural and Linguistic Services, L.A. Care Health Plan, Los Angeles, CA
Susan Choi, MS, Health Education, Cultural & Linguistic Services, L.A. Care Health Plan, Los Angeles, CA
Ming Lo
Medicaid Managed Care Health Plans are required to provide free professional interpreting services.  In an effort to increase interpreting services utilization, in 2011 we implemented new and creative methods of promoting the availability of interpreting services to Medicaid members beginning with the development and distribution of an innovative video for deaf and hard-of-hearing members.  The video quickly proved effective with American Sign Language interpreting service requests increasing by over 200% within nine months of the intervention.  Inspired by this success, the second phase of the project targeted Asian language speakers since Asian languages, with the exception of Korean, had lower rates of interpreting services utilization per 1,000 members than non-Asian languages. 

The purpose of the current intervention was to increase interpreting services utilization among Asian language speaking Medicaid members. 

The existing ASL interpreting services video was translated into seven Asian languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese.   The videos were mailed to Asian language speaking members with their annual health plan information and also posted on our website.  In March 2014 the videos were further included in our new member welcome packet.    

The intervention was evaluated six months later by comparing the number of successfully completed Asian language interpreting services encounters before and after video distribution.  Initial results are encouraging with all Asian languages except Tagalog showing an increase in interpreting services utilization rate per 1,000 members.

The availability of interpreting services has traditionally been promoted to members via traditional print methods.  The promotion of interpreting services via non-traditional methods such as video has proven initially successful and opens the door for additional communication methods such as texting and social media.

Learning Areas:

Communication and informatics
Diversity and culture

Learning Objectives:
Explain the importance of using professional interpreters Describe rights and responsibilities related to interpreting services

Keyword(s): Technology, Asian and Pacific Islanders

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been in the field of health education for 20 years, 11 as the Director of Health Education, Cultural and Linguistic Services for a Medicaid Managed Care Health Plan in Los Angeles. During this time, I have become a strong advocate for equal access to health for low-income, limited-English proficient individuals, including Asian language speakers.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5012.0: APIC Poster Session III - Translational Research Addressing Asian American and/or Pacific Islander American Health