447 Experiences of Neurosurgical Oncology Patients With Non-English Language Preference (NELP)

INTRODUCTION: Neurosurgeon-patient interactions with language discordance may lead to disparities in clinical outcomes and patient experiences. Thus, it is important to explore the role of language preference in navigating neurosurgical care. METHODS: A validated patient experience survey was sent to 400 patients treated by neurosurgical oncologists at Mass General Brigham (MGB) from October 2022 to March 2023. The survey was available in four languages and queried patient experience during their most recent visit. Survey participants were stratified into three groups based on language preference and race: White patients with English language preference (ELP-W), Black and/or Hispanic patients with English language preference (ELP-BH), and Black and/or Hispanic patients with non-English language preference (NELP). Fisher’s exact test was used to determine differences among the three groups. RESULTS: Of the 97 responses, 67.0% were ELP-W, 23.7% were ELP-BH, and 9.3% were NELP. There were no differences observed in trust, communication, experience with staff, time spent with staff, access to resources, or overall satisfaction between the three groups. Compared to ELP-BH (4.3%) and ELP-W (1.5%), 55% of NELP patients reported preference for non-English language during their medical care. Among the three respondent groups, there were significant differences in language preference during medical care (p < 0.001), utilization of a medical interpreter (p < 0.001) and family interpreter (p < 0.001). NELP were less likely to report awareness of availability of the shuttle bus (p = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: We did not detect differences in overall patient experience and satisfaction among three language and race-based cohorts. Reassuringly, the majority of NELP stated they had access to professional medical interpretation, however, we identified a gap in awareness of resources. Future work should explore and address these gaps that may contribute to variable patient outcomes.