of all types can engage in a systematic approach to better
identify and prevent medical errors and adverse events that
occur commonly among patients with limited English proficiency
(LEP). Research available from the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality makes these 5 key recommendations to
improve detection of medical errors across diverse LEP
populations and prevent high-risk scenarios from becoming safety
events: hospitals with resource or other limitations that
preclude a full rollout of these strategies at once, the authors
suggest beginning incrementally by choosing any strategies that
can be readily implemented and, at a minimum, focus on
addressing the root causes that lead to high-risk scenarios for
medical errors among patients with LEP. study, Bringing It to
Life, highlights a breakdown in communication involving hospital
staff and a 45-year-old Spanish-speaking man with type 2
diabetes who goes to the emergency department accompanied by his
wife.