LanguageLine integrated live interpretation in 45 languages, including American Sign Language, directly into VidaTalk's multilingual communication platform, giving hospitalized patients who face language barriers one-touch access to professional interpreters without leaving the app.
Expanding Communication Equity for Hospitalized Patients
VidaTalk is the leading multilingual communication platform for hospitalized patients who are nonverbal or face language barriers. Initially developed through NIH-funded research to support intubated ICU patients, VidaTalk has expanded into a comprehensive communication-equity solution used across health systems nationwide. The platform enables patients who are intubated, critically ill, or otherwise unable to speak to communicate through preset phrases, drawing, typing, and text-to-speech features.
The Challenge
- Eliminate friction in accessing interpreter services for vulnerable patients
- Enable patient autonomy for those with limited English proficiency
- Streamline workflows without requiring additional devices or equipment
Hospitalized patients who are nonverbal and have limited English proficiency face compounded communication barriers.
Previously, accessing interpretation required clinicians to locate equipment, make separate calls, or coordinate external resources—creating delays in care and reducing patient autonomy. For patients already using VidaTalk to communicate despite being unable to speak, the need to wait for interpreter access through separate systems added unnecessary complexity and risk.
How We Helped
- Embedded interpreter access
- Patient-initiated interpretation
- Multimodal communication support
- HIPAA-compliant integration
- Simplified implementation
LanguageLine Solutions partnered with VidaTalk to embed live interpretation directly into the platform patients already trust. The integration provides one-touch access to professional interpreters in 45 languages, including American Sign Language (ASL), without requiring patients or clinicians to leave the app or locate additional devices.
A new in-app feature labeled "I want an interpreter" empowers patients with limited English proficiency to request interpretation themselves through a simple touchscreen interface. This gives patients greater autonomy and reduces delays in care while supporting compliance with language access regulations.
The integrated solution offers live audio and video interpretation within a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. Patients can seamlessly move between interpretation, Talk-to-Translate features, drawing boards, and type-to-speech tools—all within the same interface. Clinicians benefit from a simplified workflow that eliminates the need to locate interpreter carts or make separate calls, allowing them to focus on delivering care.
Implementation requires minimal training, as interpreter access is built into the tool patients and providers are already using. This streamlined approach not only saves time but also improves patient satisfaction for those who are limited English proficient, Deaf, or Hard of Hearing.
The Result
- Enhanced patient autonomy
- Eliminated workflow friction
- Improved regulatory compliance
- Increased patient satisfaction
The partnership between VidaTalk and LanguageLine reflects a broader shift in health care toward integrated, digital-first communication solutions that promote equity, safety, and patient autonomy. By removing an entire layer of friction, the combined solution enables instant understanding at the tap of a button—no more waiting, no extra devices, no chasing down equipment.
Health systems implementing this capability are experiencing improved care delivery, enhanced compliance with language access regulations, and greater patient satisfaction. The integration supports VidaTalk's mission to serve increasingly diverse patient populations, with the platform's language library recently expanded to 45 languages including Swahili, Hebrew, Kurdish, and Albanian.
VidaTalk is actively working with hospitals to implement this capability as part of routine care, with future plans to extend interpreter access into virtual care, discharge planning, and post-acute follow-up.
What Our Partner Said
"We've removed an entire layer of friction. Interpreter access is now built directly into the tool patients already trust. No more waiting, no extra devices, no chasing down equipment—just instant understanding at the tap of a button."
-Dr. Lance Patak, Co-Founder, VidaTalk
Let's Talk Solutions
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