Points of Contact
People with LEP interact with your organization at many points.
Click each image in the graphic to learn more about how to recognize and address language needs at points of contact in your organization.
Figure 1: Points of Contact
- Call center
- Call centers can recognize a person’s language needs using an automated system that asks, for example, “for English, press one; para español, oprima dos.” A live phone conversation also can lead to early recognition of the need for an interpreter or information in languages other than English.
- Reception
- Receptionists can assess patient language needs when people check in for an appointment, seek directions, or need other types of information.
- Exam Room
- In the examination room, the provider can review the patient’s chart and verify language information collected during the check-in process.
- Written Communications
- People with LEP also interact with your organization through written communications. To effectively communicate using written documents, you must understand what languages your patients communicate best in.
- Security
- The security desk or information desk at a provider’s office is often a point of contact for people with LEP.