When we talk about equitable healthcare, we often focus on insurance coverage, workforce diversity, or access to preventive care. Yet, the most fundamental requirement for health equity is simpler: patients must be able to understand and be understood.
That’s where CLAS Standard 5 comes in.
The National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (CLAS) were developed to ensure that all patients receive effective, understandable, and respectful care, regardless of cultural or linguistic background.
Standard 5 is one of the most critical:
“Ensure the availability of language assistance services, at no cost to individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) and/or other communication needs, in a timely manner during all hours of operation.”
This single sentence captures a moral, clinical, and legal imperative.
A patient safety safeguard. Without qualified interpreters, care teams may mishear allergies, miss symptoms, or give wrong instructions. In fact, research shows that LEP patients experience significantly higher rates of adverse medical events when professional interpretation is absent.
A matter of compliance. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin. Denying or delaying interpretation services isn’t just poor practice—it’s unlawful.
A driver of trust. Patients are more likely to disclose sensitive details, follow treatment plans, and keep follow-ups when they feel they are communicating effectively, in the language they understand best.
An organizational advantage. Health systems that implement Language Access Plans (LAPs) reduce costly readmissions, improve patient satisfaction scores, and demonstrate values-driven leadership.
Many hospitals still lean on “enough to get by” solutions: asking bilingual staff, family members, or even children to interpret. These shortcuts come at a high cost:
By contrast, professional interpreters are trained to:
In other words, professional interpreters are not an optional service—they are a clinical necessity.
Implementing CLAS Standard 5 requires more than a policy on paper. It demands:
Resource investment: Ensuring access to qualified interpreters in person, by phone, or via video—at all hours of operation.
Workflow integration: Building interpreter access into triage, intake, discharge, and follow-up care.
Staff awareness: Training teams on Language Access and how to work with professional interpreters, and why it matters.
Equity mindset: Understanding that language access is not a “nice-to-have”—it’s a reflection of an institution’s commitment to accessibility for all, inclusion, fairness and quality.
CLAS Standard 5 is not simply about compliance. It is about honoring the basic human right to understand your health and your care.
When health systems treat language access as central, they don’t just prevent errors—they build trust, improve outcomes, and embody equity.
Our health is our most important asset. At EALS, we believe that language equity is health equity. Every patient deserves the dignity of being heard. Every provider deserves the tools to deliver safe, high-quality care. And every health system has the responsibility to make this non-negotiable.
Because healthcare without understanding is not healthcare at all.
