Promising Practice Summary: Spanish Clinic for Epilepsy Patients | Lurie Children’s

Overview

The Spanish Clinic for Epilepsy Patients at Lurie Children's Hospital (Spanish Clinic), located in Chicago, has a mission to provide comprehensive epilepsy care to a diverse patient population. The epilepsy department emphasizes culturally sensitive care, particularly through their Spanish Clinic which aims to address language barriers and improve care for the Hispanic/Latino community. 

Project Background

The Spanish Clinic's development was driven by the recognition that language concordance improves patient care, reduces medical errors, and enhances the overall health care experience. The overall goal is to show this type of clinic is effective in helping families feel more comfortable talking with providers, increasing understanding of their child’s condition, improving seizure frequency, reducing hospitalizations, and advancing patients to epilepsy surgery sooner.

Data/Outcomes

Initial feedback from the Spanish Clinic has been overwhelmingly positive. Families have expressed high levels of satisfaction, appreciating the culturally sensitive approach and the ability to communicate directly with health care providers in their native language. The clinic is in the process of developing a questionnaire to evaluate improvements in patients’ understanding of epilepsy diagnosis satisfaction of health care provided, and overall quality of life. Early observations suggest that the clinic has successfully reduced barriers to care and increased timely access to necessary treatments, including epilepsy surgery.

Recommendations

For organizations looking to replicate this practice, several key steps are recommended:

• Identify and Hire Bilingual Staff: Ensure that the clinic is staffed with providers who are fluent in Spanish and culturally competent. This is a critical piece to replicate in other departments and hospitals.
• Support and Partnerships: Ensure support from superiors and establish partnerships with local community organizations and health care providers to facilitate referrals, community engagement and ensure success of the program.
• Flexibility in Service Delivery: Incorporate telemedicine options to accommodate families who may have difficulty accessing the clinic in person.
• Collaborative Team Approach: Develop a multidisciplinary team that includes social workers, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants who can provide comprehensive support and continuity of care. All providers should know all patients and all patients should know all the providers. This ensures continuity of care and comprehensive support of the patients and their families.
• Communication: Ensure families are offered the option of the clinic and not automatically scheduled there without their consent and understanding. 
  
  

Sustainability and Challenges

Sustainability of the Spanish Clinic depends on continuous data collection and adaptability based on patient feedback. One of the main challenges is the scarcity of validated Spanish-language medical questionnaires, which are essential for accurate assessment and monitoring. Additionally, recruiting and retaining bilingual health care professionals can be challenging. However, the clinic's commitment to culturally sensitive care and strong community partnerships helps mitigate these challenges. Ensuring ongoing support from hospital leadership and securing funding for the clinic's operations are also crucial for long-term sustainability.