Despite evolving regulations and improved technology, Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients continue to face critical communication gaps in healthcare settings. According to the newly released 2025 Healthcare Interpreting Report by Boostlingo, 50% of healthcare organizations admitted treating LEP patients without any interpreter support in the past year.
This annual report, which surveyed 277 healthcare professionals across various roles and facilities, sheds light on persistent systemic barriers to language access and offers a roadmap for operational, clinical, and technological solutions.
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Half of LEP Patients Still Receive Care Without an Interpreter
Perhaps the most alarming finding: half of healthcare organizations surveyed provided care to LEP patients without an interpreter. 
Whether due to staffing, technology gaps, or perceived urgency, this practice undermines patient safety, informed consent, and care equity.
The consequences of inadequate language support have been thoroughly documented. As we discussed in The Impact of Language Barriers on the Healthcare Industry, language mismatches contribute to increased misdiagnoses, medication errors, and readmissions—leading to worse outcomes and higher systemic costs.
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Cost is the Leading Barrier to Interpreter Use
When asked why they couldn’t provide on-demand interpreter access, 44% of respondents cited cost as the top barrier, followed by technology integration and staff adoption issues.
While budget constraints are real, failing to invest in interpreter services often results in higher long-term costs due to avoidable complications, malpractice risk, and poor patient satisfaction. Making the ROI of language services visible—fewer errors, improved clinical outcomes, and higher HCAHPS scores—should be a strategic priority.
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EHR Integration Remains Inconsistent
Only 56% of organizations use a standardized method in their EHR to identify LEP patients, and many report inconsistent usage. Without proper tagging, deploying interpreter services efficiently becomes a guessing game.
Boostlingo’s report notes that primary-language flags alone aren’t enough—systems must also distinguish between proficiency and need for interpretation. Language preference ≠ fluency.
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Organizations Aren’t Tracking LEP Outcomes
Despite the healthcare industry’s commitment to quality metrics, only 23% of organizations track outcomes for LEP patients as a distinct cohort.
As emphasized in the report, building a “LEP data lake”—integrating interpreter usage with EHR data—makes it possible to evaluate KPIs like readmission rates, average length of stay, and satisfaction. These align with CMS’s pillars for value-based care and should be at the center of language access planning.
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Interpreter Demand is Rising—Rapidly
Even in a volatile policy environment, 92% of healthcare organizations expect interpreting needs to remain stable or increase in 2025. This growing demand highlights the urgency for scalable, modern interpreter programs.
Healthcare organizations should invest in Interpreter Management Systems (IMS), expand multilingual capacity, and strengthen their internal language access infrastructure.
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Language Support is Critical Beyond the Exam Room
The report finds that 70% of organizations use interpreters for non-clinical interactions, such as check-ins, billing, and discharge instructions.
However, nearly one-third still overlook these “in-between” touchpoints. As we noted in our blog on Avoiding Language Discrimination in Health Care, equity in communication must span the entire care continuum—not just during the clinical encounter.
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AI Interpreting Is Gaining Ground—With Caution
More than half of respondents (55%) said they are comfortable using AI-powered interpreting tools, particularly for administrative tasks like scheduling and reminders.
Boostlingo wisely recommends a hybrid approach: reserve AI for low-risk touchpoints while maintaining human interpreters for clinical conversations. Tools like real-time transcription, auto-summaries, and QR-based triage are already enhancing front-desk and discharge workflows. You can read more about this emerging trend in our piece on ASL and AI in Healthcare Interpreting.
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On-Demand Tools Reduce Gaps—and Burnout
When interpreter access is limited, bilingual staff are often pulled away from their primary duties to translate—leading to overload and inconsistency. This is not a sustainable model.
On-demand video or phone interpreting can provide immediate coverage, reduce staff burnout, and maintain compliance—especially during after-hours and emergency care.
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Interpreter Management Systems (IMS) Improve Efficiency
Coordinating multiple interpreter vendors, in-house staff, and ad-hoc requests can be chaotic. IMS platforms streamline scheduling, routing, and reporting, allowing organizations to improve fill rates and reduce administrative complexity.
Boostlingo’s findings highlight the importance of centralized access and unified platforms to scale language services intelligently and efficiently.
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Tracking LEP Patients as a Unique Cohort Is the Future
One of the most forward-looking recommendations is to track LEP patients as a distinct cohort using value-based care metrics.
For example, organizations should:
- Monitor Observed vs. Expected readmissions for LEP patients
- Compare length of stay to English-proficient patients
- Segment HCAHPS scores by language
These indicators tie directly to CMS’s quality initiatives and support both better care and stronger compliance.
From Insight to Action
Language Network Comment:
This report reflects what we've seen firsthand: language access is improving—but far from equitable. We believe every LEP patient deserves informed, safe, and dignified care. The solutions exist. Let’s act on them.
The 2025 Healthcare Interpreting Report is more than a set of statistics—it's a wake-up call for healthcare leaders.
At Language Network, we believe every patient deserves equitable care—regardless of the language they speak. Whether it's through expanding access to over-the-phone interpreters, building better data frameworks, or adopting the right AI tools, your organization can bridge the gap.
If you're ready to strengthen your language access program, we invite you to explore our resources:
- [Ebook] Language access planning in the Healthcare industry
- Avoiding Language Discrimination in Health Care
- The Impact of Language Barriers on the Healthcare Industry
- Over-the-Phone Interpretation: Finding Reliable OPI Interpreters
Together, we can close the interpreter gap—one patient at a time.