@article {Kwoke002053, author = {Matthew Mo Kin Kwok and Ryan Sandarage and Manjot Kahlon}, title = {Observational study on resource utilisation of patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) at a high-LEP serving community hospital emergency department}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, elocation-id = {e002053}, year = {2023}, doi = {10.1136/bmjoq-2022-002053}, publisher = {BMJ Open Quality}, abstract = {Communication barriers often result in healthcare disparities. Language barriers in patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) frequently results in higher healthcare expenditures and potentially poorer patient-centred outcomes. Therefore, we decided to assess resource utilisation of patients with LEP at our high-LEP serving community hospital emergency department (ED) in Canada. Specifically, we examined whether LEP patients have a higher rate of CT utilisation and/or a higher rate of hospital admission from the ED.We enrolled 100 patients who presented to the ED in our study. Each patient{\textquoteright}s English proficiency was rated. We classified 31 patients as LEP patients and 69 patients as non-LEP patients. Within the LEP patients{\textquoteright} group, 13 out of 31 patients (42\%) received a CT scan, while in the non-LEP patients{\textquoteright} group, 30 out of 69 patients (43\%) received a CT scan. In addition, 28 out of 31 patients (90\%) from the LEP patients{\textquoteright} group were admitted to the hospital after the initial ED consultation, while in the non-LEP patients{\textquoteright} group, 51 out of 69 patients (74\%) were admitted.We did not find a difference in CT scan utilisation between LEP and non-LEP patients (p=0.89). Although there is a trend towards a higher hospital admission rate in LEP patients, our finding was not statistically significant (p=0.062).Data are available on reasonable request.}, URL = {https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/12/1/e002053}, eprint = {https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/12/1/e002053.full.pdf}, journal = {BMJ Open Quality} }