Medical interpreters in California

Opalite recorded over 90% fewer errors than certified medical interpreters in its blinded validation study. The study compared Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese clinical dialogue and also reported over 98% fewer major and critical errors. Opalite uses the same underlying interpretation techniques across its supported languages, bringing that approach to local providers.

Providers in California covered by Title VI or Section 1557 must give patients with limited English proficiency meaningful access to care. When interpretation is needed, a qualified interpreter is required. Opalite is designed to support these obligations.

About 6.4 million residents age five and older in California speak English less than very well, or 17% of that age group. In total, 16.3 million residents speak a language other than English at home. These figures come from the 2017-2021 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Speaking another language at home does not by itself mean someone needs an interpreter.

The three largest non-English language categories in California are Spanish (10.5 million), Tagalog (646,800), and Chinese (641,600). These are household language counts for residents age five and older from the 2017-2021 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Some Census categories combine several languages, so a category total should not be read as a count for just one of them.

Opalite charges a flat rate based on the scope of the deployment, such as sites, departments, or usage. In the published CIFC Health case study, the clinic cut interpretation costs in half, saving more than $5,000 a month. Organizations in California can compare a quote with their current spending.