Medical Language Testing
With over 300 languages spoken in the United States alone, it is more important than ever to ensure that patients have accessibility to medical care regardless of their language background. Too often, Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients rely on family members or other untrained personnel to provide interpretation for their health care. This can lead to miscommunications, misunderstandings, and lack of proper treatment altogether. ALTA offers several test types to ensure that your medical staff can communicate with the LEP population, and help them gain access to the care they need.
Qualified Bilingual Staff (QBS) Assessment
The Qualified Bilingual Staff (QBS) Assessment is a tool developed by Kaiser Permanente and administered by ALTA to test bilingual medical staff for their level of target language proficiency. Specifically, the QBS is designed to assess staff members’ ability to directly communicate with target language-speaking patients in a medical setting. Click here for information about how the test works, the languages offered, and what the results mean.
Clinician Cultural and Linguistic Assessment (CCLA)
The Clinician Cultural and Linguistic Assessment (CCLA) is a tool developed by Kaiser Permanente and administered by ALTA to determine the level of target language proficiency of bilingual physicians. Specifically, the CCLA is designed to assess target language communication (speaking and listening comprehension) in a primary care medical setting in a linguistically and culturally sensitive manner without the use of an interpreter. Click here for information about how the test works, the languages offered, and what the results mean.
Bilingual Medical Assessment
ALTA’s Bilingual Medical Assessment is an oral , phone-based assessment that focuses on the skills necessary for performing the tasks of medical assistants, nursing assistants, home health aides, and healthcare technicians. Individuals who work in these positions in a bilingual capacity need to demonstrate that they are proficient in both English and another spoken language in clinical settings. This test intends to demonstrate this proficiency , specifically in the context of medical scenarios and terminology. The test is available in Spanish/English.
Speaking and Listening Assessment
ALTA’s Speaking and Listening Assessment allows you to effectively screen for global proficiency in the target language. This test rates the ability of the candidate to understand and verbally communicate directly in the language in a general context. ALTA also offers tests with subject specific questions for:
- nurses
- social and/or case workers
- dentists, dentist assistants, hygienists
- speech therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists
- Midwife
Click here for more information about the Speaking and Listening Assessment, including how the test works and information about our evaluators.
Our Clients
ALTA is the chosen medical language testing provider for healthcare organizations nationwide. Click here to see a list of our clients.
