In the last five years, a pandemic and a rise in demand for telemedicine have proven how life-changing virtual care can be for patients across the country. While technology is a marvel, five years later, millions struggle to access these services. Language barriers act as a prevalent obstacle to receiving the quality care many people need and deserve.
In 2025, that’s far from acceptable, but Congress has the opportunity to correct this oversight by passing the bipartisan Supporting Patient Education And Knowledge (SPEAK) Act.
This patient-critical measure would require the Department of Health and Human Services to advise hospitals and health systems on how to improve multi-language telehealth services for Americans with limited English proficiency. Guidance would include best practices on the distribution of accessible instructions in multiple languages, integration of interpreters during appointments, and accessibility to non-English telehealth and patient portals.
