Some days would be easier if everyone (your staff, patients, potential patients, insurance reps, etc.) spoke the same language as you. But these days, that’s a fantasy world. The reality is that there are MANY people living in our neighborhoods whose primary language is different than ours. What is a practice to do?
Have you considered offering translated content for important practice information? A good example is your New Patient Registration forms. If you have a 20% Spanish speaking population, do you offer a registration form that’s been translated to Spanish? If you did, you’d be getting more accurate and complete information. Perhaps you have a nearby Vietnamese community; would you benefit from publishing a translated ad in their local newspaper, and offering a Vietnamese version of your practice brochure?
While it is not feasible to offer all of your print collateral, advertising, and online content in dozens of languages, it may benefit your practice and your patients to strategically select one or two languages prevalent in your community, and update 3-4 critical documents with translated options.
Translation services are readily available, and often reasonably priced. Take a look at your own patient community and give some thought to whether offering translated content makes your practice more effective, and perhaps even a better neighbor.
