This abstract from ACEP's most recent research forum looked at the effect a patient's preferred language had on ED LOS, rate of admission, hospital length of stay and resource utilization both in the ED and the hospital.
Overall, those patients who spoke English as their primary language had lower ED LOS, less testing done in the ED, but if they got admitted they had the longest hospital LOS. Patients who preferred Spanish language had the shortest hospital LOS and were most likely to be discharged home with no services. Non-English/non-Spanish languages had the longest ED LOS and highest admission rates and had similar resource use as patients who preferred Spanish
This abstract opens the door for further research into what the underlying cause of these disparities are.
References
Preferred Language Is Associated With Length of Stay for Patients Admitted From the Emergency Department
