According to a new study, language barriers significantly hinder asthma management, leading to poorer health outcomes for non–English-speaking patients. The study, “Impact of Language Barriers on Pulmonary Function and Asthma Control,” was recently published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 28,000 asthma patients aged 12 and older, comparing outcomes between English- and non–English-speaking individuals. Non–English speakers were four times more likely to have uncontrolled asthma and had lower lung function scores on average. The findings underscore the urgent need for linguistically inclusive health care strategies to address disparities in asthma care.
Other key findings highlight:
- Pulmonary function: Participants had lower average forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) — 70.7% (predicted) versus 78.4% in English speakers.
- Health care access: Non–English speakers were less likely to attend outpatient visits but more likely to rely on emergency departments.
- Documentation gaps: English speakers were more likely to have asthma control tests and pulmonary function tests recorded in their medical records.
Despite similar rates of allergic sensitization (atopy), the disparities in asthma control and health care utilization highlight the systemic challenges faced by patients with limited English proficiency.
The study’s authors encouraged clinicians to make practice changes that reduce language barriers in health care. They also encouraged future research to explore the long-term impact of language-concordant care interventions.
“Health systems should prioritize professional interpreters, bilingual education and technological solutions (artificial intelligence (AI)-based translation models) to reduce disparities,” wrote Maria Paula Henao, MD, MPH, and colleagues in the study’s conclusion. Dr. Henao is associate professor in the division of pulmonary, allergy and critical care medicine at Pennsylvania State University in University Park.
