Child Neglect, Diverse Patient Populations

A Joint Commission publication entitled "Hospitals, Language, and Culture: A Snapshot of the Nation" is a study "designed to provide a snapshot of how sixty hospitals across the country are providing health care to culturally and linguistically diverse patient populations." Among other important findings, analysis of the data "revealed three principal areas worthy of highlight because of their importance to patient safety. These included the provision of language services, the process for obtaining informed consent, and the collection and use of patient-level demographic data."