The Fund supports networks of state health policy decision makers to help identify, inspire, and inform policy leaders.
The Milbank Memorial Fund supports two state leadership programs for legislative and executive branch state government officials committed to improving population health.
The Fund identifies and shares policy ideas and analysis to advance state health leadership, strong primary care, and sustainable health care costs.
Keep up with news and updates from the Milbank Memorial Fund. And read the latest blogs from our thought leaders, including Fund President Christopher F. Koller.
The Fund publishes The Milbank Quarterly, as well as reports, issues briefs, and case studies on topics important to health policy leaders.
The Milbank Memorial Fund is is a foundation that works to improve population health and health equity.
March 2006 (Volume 84)
Quarterly Article
Elizabeth Jacobs
Alice Hm Chen
Leah S. Karliner
Niels Agger-Gupta
Sunita Mutha
Jul 2, 2025
Back to The Milbank Quarterly
Many U.S. residents who speak little English may face language barriers when seeking health care. This article describes what is currently known about language barriers in health care and outlines a research agenda based on mismatches between the current state of knowledge of language barriers and what health care stakeholders need to know. Three broad areas needing more research are discussed: the ways in which language barriers affect health and health care, the efficacy of linguistic access service interventions, and the costs of language barriers and efforts to overcome them. In each of these areas, we outline specific research questions and recommendations.
Author(s): Elizabeth Jacobs; Alice HM Chen; Leah S. Karliner; Niels Agger-Gupta; Sunita Mutha
Keywords: interpreters; language barriers; patient-clinician communication; review
Read on Wiley Online Library
Read on JSTOR
Volume 84, Issue 1 (pages 111–133) DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2006.00440.x Published in 2006
