LanguageLine Solutions announced today that The Beryl Institute has published a new case study highlighting UMass Memorial Health’s successful integration of on-demand interpretation services directly into its Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) environment.
The case study details a significant leap forward in health equity, removing critical communication barriers for patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
A Workflow-First Approach to Health Equity
UMass Memorial Health (UMMH), the largest healthcare system in Central Massachusetts and the clinical partner of UMass Chan Medical School, partnered with LanguageLine to solve a common clinical friction point: disconnected language services. By embedding professional interpretation directly into the EHR, UMMH has prioritized speed, usability, and patient safety.
"This allows documentation to be a byproduct of doing the right thing," said Dr. Eric Alper, SVP, Chief Quality Officer and Chief Clinical Informatics Officer at UMMH. "Before, we didn't know if we were under-utilizing interpreters or just not documenting. Now, we're seeing consistent improvement."
This collaboration made UMass Memorial the first health system to natively integrate LanguageLine into Epic using SMART on FHIR technology. This integration allows for:
- Single-Click Access: Clinicians launch interpretation sessions directly from Epic Hyperspace and mobile apps, including Haiku, Canto, and Rover.
- Patient Context Awareness: Language preferences are prepopulated from the patient’s record, eliminating manual entry.
- Rapid Connection: Average connection times to certified interpreters are now under 15 seconds.
- Automated Documentation: Session details, including duration and interpreter ID, are automatically written back to the EHR. This ensures compliance with Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
The implementation has achieved rapid adoption across the health system, including within UMMH’s BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) environment. With hundreds of daily mobile sessions and more reliable documentation, the system has seen a marked improvement in operational efficiency and clinical compliance.
"This is how technology should work, serving communication, honoring culture, and making it easier for clinicians to deliver great care," Dr. Alper said.
The success of this project was the result of a deep collaboration between clinical informatics, IT, interpreter services, and frontline clinicians to ensure the technology aligned with real-world workflows.
Read the Full Case Study:
The Beryl Institute is a global community of healthcare professionals and experience champions committed to transforming the human experience in healthcare. The Institute offers unparalleled access to unbiased research and proven practices, networking and professional development opportunities.
The complete case study, including technical deployment details and clinical outcomes, is available through The Beryl Institute: Access the Case Study Here.