Language Accessibility at Select Academic Ophthalmology Centers Across US Metropolitan Areas

How well do physician language skills at US academic ophthalmology centers align with the linguistic needs of surrounding limited English proficiency populations?In this cross-sectional study of 32 academic ophthalmology programs across 28 metropolitan areas, average language coverage was 55% in the Northeast, 53% in the South, 40% in the West, and 32% in the Midwest. Spanish and Vietnamese were consistently underrepresented, with Spanish-speaking patients having the lowest ophthalmologist availability.These findings suggest that academic ophthalmology centers have substantial gaps in language concordance, particularly for Spanish-speaking patients, highlighting the need for targeted workforce strategies to potentially reduce these disparities.

Corresponding Author: Kara M. Cavuoto, MD, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 900 NW 17th St, Miami, FL 33136 (kcavuoto@med.miami.edu).

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