Highmark Inc. To Train Providers on How to Care for Limited English Proficient Patients Through Innovative, First of Its Kind, e-Learning Program

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 54 million Americans -- roughly 20 percent of the population -- do not speak English at home. A subset of that population, between 12 million and 20 million Americans, speak English less than very well and, thus, are regarded under the law as Limited English Proficient (LEP).

Approximately 90 percent of American physicians have some LEP patients. Similarly, 80 percent of American hospitals encounter LEP patients frequently. Yet few providers are adequately prepared to address the additional medical quality and safety issues that arise when treating these patients.

To help remedy these types of problems, Highmark Inc. announced today its partnership with Critical Measures as the first health insurance company in the nation to offer an innovative new e-learning program on caring for LEP patients to its provider network.

The e-learning course is entitled: "Language Access and the Law: Caring for the LEP Patient." It is designed to increase physicians' understanding of the business, medical (quality/safety) and legal reasons for providing language access service to LEP patients.

Highmark Inc. will offer the program to 500 physicians, who will receive continuing medical education credits for completing the program. Physician users must resolve multiple, complex medical and legal issues in a comprehensive patient case study, which deals with common language access problems in a health plan, clinic, emergency room, outpatient/pharmacy and hospital setting.

"Highmark is a national leader in assisting providers to define, deliver and measure culturally competent medical care in accord with national best practices," said Dr. Rhonda Johnson, medical director of health equity and quality for Highmark Inc. "With this program, physicians will learn how to break down language barriers that often inhibit their ability to deliver high-quality care that is safe, patient and family centered and equitable."

"Critical Measures is proud to partner with an industry leader like Highmark to enable it to become the first national insurer to educate its physicians on mission-critical language access issues," said David Hunt, president and chief executive officer of Critical Measures. "We are confident that this training program will improve the quality of care that LEP patients receive and help physicians avoid unwanted litigation."

For more information about Highmark, visit www.highmark.com and to learn more about Critical Measures, visit www.criticalmeasures.net

SOURCE Highmark Inc.