Bilingual Case Management
The bilingual nurse case manager fulfills the essential role of bridging the gap between the Hispanic patient and the typical American health care provider who does not speak Spanish and is often unaware of medically relevant aspects of culture.
Benefits
Our nurses provide not only interpretation services during medical consultations but also a respect for and understanding of cultural values.
Our bilingual case managers offer culturally diverse injured workers a point of contact and communication with claims adjusters and providers.
Did you know?
- Hispanic workers suffer more fatalities each year in U.S. construction work accidents than African American and Caucasian workers combined. And these injuries are on the rise.
- Hispanic construction workers rep-resent almost half of our country’s construction work force.
- The number of Hispanic construction workers quadrupled in the last two decades.
- 12% of serious injuries among Hispanic workers occur during the first day on the job.
- Hispanic workers often do not feel comfortable asking questions because, in their culture, it could be considered rude and a challenge to authority.
- Providers may order inappropriate diagnostic tests for patients of different cultural backgrounds because they may not understand the patient’s description of symptoms. Alternatively, providers may order more diagnostic tests to compensate for not understanding what patients are saying.
- Patients may not adhere to medical advice because they do not under-stand and thus, they do not trust the provider.
What can a bilingual case manager do for you?
- Coordinate three-way conference calls with the injured worker and adjuster, providing interpretation to confirm mechanism of injury and initial complaints.
- Provide a panel of doctors and co-ordinate a prompt initial evaluation with a qualified physician.
- Secure treatment recommendations and ensure the injured worker understands his medical condition and the treatment recommendations.
- Obtain prompt coordination of diagnostics and treatment by providing appropriate information to vendors.
- Communicate with the employer regarding RTW accommodations.
- Inform the treating physicians of work accommodations and secure work releases.
- Review physical restrictions with the injured worker and serve as a resource for the employer and injured worker in the RTW process.
- Obtain necessary documentation for the workers’ compensation process.
The ONE TIME TASK assignments can serve to:
- Coordinate a physician visit, secure injured worker’s complaint/statement, obtain physician’s treatment plan and work status.
- Schedule and coordinate IMEs and provide interpretation at the evaluation.
- Coordinate PT, work hardening or FCE, and provide interpretation for the initial evaluation and subsequent sessions as necessary.