In healthcare settings, effective communication can literally be a matter of life and death. When language barriers prevent patients from understanding their care or healthcare professionals from gathering crucial information, the consequences can be severe. CardMedic’s innovative call feature is transforming how healthcare providers bridge these communication gaps.
CardMedic’s integrated call feature provides healthcare professionals with immediate access to live human interpreters in over 200 languages – all at the touch of a button. This seamless integration means that when communication tools, such as our library of pre-written scripts, aren’t sufficient, clinicians can instantly escalate to a telephone interpreter without leaving the app or fumbling with multiple systems.
The feature is designed with clinical efficiency in mind. Gone are the days of searching for interpreter contact numbers, navigating complex phone menus, or waiting on hold while a patient’s condition deteriorates. With CardMedic, the pathway to a qualified interpreter is streamlined and intuitive, aligning with NHS England’s Patient Safety Framework for faster, safer interactions.
The system automatically pre-selects the language settings based on the language you’ve been using to communicate with the patient through the app’s script library. This contextual awareness saves precious time in urgent situations and reduces the risk of miscommunication.
Departmental details also automatically populated based on your profile settings, though both can be easily changed if needed. This automation eliminates administrative friction and gives faster access for patients while maintaining the flexibility healthcare professionals need in dynamic clinical environments.
Complementing existing services
CardMedic’s call feature works in harmony with your hospital’s language service providers to ensure continuity of care while respecting preexisting relationships and contracts.
The integration represents a significant step forward from the fragmented communication methods many healthcare settings currently rely on such as family members acting as impromptu translators, non-clinical staff being pulled from other duties, or generic online translation tools that lack medical accuracy and context. These are issues we’ve addressed in NHS maternity settings as highlighted in this HFMA case study.
In addition to telephone interpretation, CardMedic provides access to video interpretation services, including sign language and interpreter booking. These enhancements ensure patients have greater choice of care, while also enabling clinicians to gather non-verbal cues and offer visual demonstrations – further strengthening CardMedic’s ability to support diverse patient populations.
The call feature is just one element of CardMedic’s holistic approach to healthcare communication. The app includes more than 2,500 pre-written clinical interactions – the most extensive collection of multilingual clinician-to-patient resources available – spanning a wide range of medical subjects. Content is delivered in over 50 languages, with options for sign language videos, easy-read formats, and speech-to-text translation tools.
When these resources need to be supplemented with real-time dialogue, the call feature provides that vital human connection. Accessible on any device, at any time, CardMedic bridges communication gaps that historically have been impossible to overcome.
Addressing a critical need
Nearly 50% of the population faces communication barriers in healthcare – whether from health literacy challenges, language differences, cognitive impairments, learning disabilities, autism, or sensory impairments. CardMedic is redefining access to language services, combining direct interpreter access with unrivalled multilingual, accessible content anywhere, any time. This gives staff the care support they need and empowers every patient to understand and engage with their care. By breaking down these barriers at scale, CardMedic not only transforms patient experiences but also reduces the profound financial and ethical costs of these inequalities.
By combining digital innovation with human and clinical expertise, CardMedic is helping healthcare professionals provide the quality of care every patient deserves, regardless of the language they speak.
Watch the video to find out more about this groundbreaking call feature or contact CardMedic for a demo.
