GLOBO named Deloitte Technology Fast 500 High Growth Company

Financial performance reflects skyrocketing demand for translation and interpreting services, especially for the medical community

GLOBO Language Solutions, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., has been named a Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ winner, placing them among the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies in North America. GLOBO ranks No. 455 on Deloitte the list, now in its 30th year. 

With a consecutive three-year percentage growth rate of 253%, GLOBO’s extraordinary financial performance clearly reflects America’s strong demand for translation and interpreting services to serve the estimated 11 million people in the Deaf and hard of hearing community and the ever-growing limited English proficiency (LEP) population, which represents more than 25 million people or approximately 8% of the U.S. population.

While GLOBO serves multiple industry sectors, nowhere is the need for its language communication support more critical than healthcare, where a lack of understanding between practitioners and patients can literally mean the difference between life and death. Along with impacting quality of care, numerous evidence-based studies report unresolved language barriers and poor health literacy that can lead to regulatory fines, opportunity loss, medical malpractice and other expensive lawsuits, and preventable health expenditures, all of which can impact the total cost of care.

Sizing the challenge

Nimdzi estimates that the language services industry reached USD $67.9 billion in 2023 and projects it to grow to USD $72.7 billion in 2024. At a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7%, the market is expected to reach USD $95.3 billion by 2028. Hospitals and other provider organizations receiving reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid are required by Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide oral and sign language interpretation and written translation for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients.

Although the estimated cost of providing interpreter services is relatively low at $279 per person per year, the hidden cost of not doing so or only sporadically can be substantially higher. In a recent GLOBO webinar, Tricia Nichols, MSN, R.N., NEA-BC, CPXP, Patient Experience Director for Jefferson Health–North Region, noted that non-compliance quality penalties can reduce Medicare reimbursements by as much as 2%. She estimated that when a patient leaves Jefferson or any other healthcare facility due to a negative experience—such as language barriers or other factors—and chooses a different provider, the lost revenue from that patient over their lifetime of care can amount to an estimated $1.5 million.

Damages can be equally staggering from medical malpractice claims due to a failure to provide an interpreter, often resulting in communication breakdowns, misdiagnoses, and medical harm. A study conducted by the University of California at Berkeley, School of Public Health, pursuant to a contract with the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), analyzed the medical malpractice claims of a malpractice carrier in four states to identify when language barriers may have resulted in harm to the patient. In 35 claims, the carrier paid $2,289,000 in damages or settlements, and $2,79,800 in legal fees.

Harder to quantify are the additional costs of healthcare resources incurred by the LEP population due to communication barriers, some of which include:

• 30% more emergency department (ED) visits, with 24% of LEP patients more likely to have an unplanned ED revisit within 72 hours of care
• 40% higher rates of hospitalization
• 1.5 days longer length of hospitalized stay
• 42% more imaging
• Higher likelihood of an adverse event causing some physical harm (49% versus 30%)

One historical cohort study based on data at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that patients with LEP had higher costs during hospital admission to discharge, with an average difference of $3,861 versus $3,166, or $695 more per LEP patient. Carolinas Healthcare System reported saving $1.5 million annually by using remote interpreter technology to improve LEP communication.

Meeting demand

Closing equity gaps should be the goal for any organization wanting to truly meet the needs of its LEP population while controlling unnecessary costs at the same time. This begins by providing linguistic services at key touchpoints throughout the patient’s health journey, most commonly an ED visit and hospital admission, discharge or both. At GLOBO, we believe effectively supporting LEP patients necessitates a holistic approach, seamlessly integrating language services at every medical interaction.

The LEP patient experience

Imagine yourself, for a moment, being in the shoes of an LEP person. In a perfect world, you’d  receive your provider’s text messages translated into your preferred language. Scheduling options are translated for you as well as visit prep information. If transportation assistance is needed, you’re able to schedule a ride in your native language and, upon arrival, you are greeted and provided  translated documentation about your rights to an interpreter.

During your healthcare visit, an interpreter is present via live, audio or video to ensure that you and your provider are communicating clearly. During check-out, you receive a translated version of your treatment plan, discharge instructions and follow-up scheduling. Any medication instructions and test results are translated, as well as billing statements.

Creating broad coverage

While this may seem futuristic, these technology-enabled linguistic services are possible today. To create a broad-based, cohesive language solutions strategy, organizations need access to live and remote translation and interpreting resources whenever and wherever the LEP patient needs it.

Indeed, GLOBO’s network of live interpreters, which support 430-plus languages, are available 24/7/365 through audio, video, or on-site. Providers can schedule interpreters via the GLOBO HQ platform or the GLOBO Connect mobile app, which puts an interpreter in the pocket of providers to further extend support. The platform, which enables users to schedule interpreting sessions at 15-second connection speeds, integrates via a simple application programming interface (API) into an electronic medical record (EMR) system such as Epic.™ It also provides real-time access to linguistic data to monitor overall usage costs and analyze trends.

Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) support for translation and interpreting is clearly the next step, with applications expected to accelerate rapidly. Already, AI is in use today as prompts for routine intake tasks such as translated text messages for appointment scheduling. Expected to become ubiquitous, AI will fill in even more care delivery gaps, ensuring non-English speakers always have access to language support.   

Want to learn more about how to effectively integrate language solutions across your patient’s health journey? At GLOBO, we understand the complexity, scale, and importance of successfully managing a language support program. Request a demo here with one of our language access experts.