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Improving language assistance in healthcare for safer patient care– a EUniWell project led by Semmelweis University

When patients and healthcare providers don’t share a common language, essential medical information may be lost or misunderstood, affecting both patient safety, treatment outcomes and patientsatisfaction. A new research project aims to identify transferable good practices for language assistance within Europe to promote safer, more equitable, and higher-quality care.  

Accessing healthcare services while not being able to speak the local language often requires additional support, such as interpreting or translating medical documents. While these measures help bridge linguistic barriers, their availability and use vary significantly across Europe. To strengthen equity, access and patient safety, a new research project compares language assistance systems across five European countries to identify practical solutions that can be adapted in different healthcare settings. The project called LangCare (Multilingual Patient Safety: Comparative Study of Language Assistance in Healthcare) is coordinated by Ágnes Horváth, Assistant Professor at Semmelweis University. 

“Patients who do not speak the language of the healthcare system may struggle to understand diagnoses, treatment instructions, or medication use, which can reduce treatment compliance and lead to complications or repeated hospital visits. In many cases, family members are asked to interpret, which may result in incomplete or inaccurate communication. Language barriers can also limit access to important services, such as screenings, and contribute to delays in treatment or unnecessary repeated tests. These gaps not only affect patient safety and increase healthcare costs, but can also raise serious legal and ethical concerns, particularly when patients are unable to give fully informed consent,” says Ágnes.   

The project aims to improve well-being, protect linguistic diversity and foster intercultural communication, which fully aligns with the mission of EUniWell, the European University for Well-Being. Consequently, after it was submitted to its 9th Seed Funding Call, LangCare was among the 10 selected projects for funding out of the record number of 70 submissions.

“For me, well-being in healthcare starts with having access to the services one is entitled to. It also means understanding my condition and the available treatment options, so that I can make informed decisions about my own health. At the same time, I see well-being as not only a matter of access to information, but also how that information is communicated and how patients are treated. Feeling safe, respected, understood and able to trust healthcare providers is essential, especially in vulnerable situations. This is why, in my work, language and communication are central to ensuring both patient safety and equitable access to care,” says Ágnes, reflecting on the importance of well-being.  

Bringing together 12 universities, including Semmelweis University, EUniWell is a hub for innovative interdisciplinary collaboration, research, educational leadership and civic engagement – all focused on improving social, mental and physical well-being. 

“EUniWell makes it possible to directly compare healthcare systems across countries and bring together perspectives from medicine, linguistics, and social sciences,” explains Ágnes.  

While the project is led by academic staff and students from Semmelweis University, it is a shared effort with five other EUniWell partner Universities: the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO) and the Universities of Birmingham, Florence, Murcia and Santiago de Compostela, as well as the Associated Partners Universidad de Granada, Universitad de La Laguna, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and Universidad de Alicante.

“One of the main challenges of the project lies in ensuring meaningful comparability across different national healthcare systems. Although all partner teams follow a shared 47-point methodological framework, language assistance practices are embedded in very different legal, institutional, and organisational contexts, which can make direct comparison complex. A further challenge is maintaining consistency in data interpretation across countries, despite the use of a common guide. However, this is addressed through coordinated research design and regular alignment among partners. In terms of outcomes, the project will produce structured country profiles and a comparative overview of language assistance practices in healthcare, highlighting both common patterns and context-specific differences,” says Ágnes.

Looking for an opportunity to turn your innovative idea into reality? 

Apply now to EUniWell’s 10th Seed Funding Call and fund your project with up to EUR 25,000!  Proposals must involve a collaboration between at least four EUniWell member universities and focus on improving health, education, society, institutional transformation, environment, social and gender equality, and cultural inclusion.  

The deadline for applications is 17 May 2026. Find the application form and more information on the dedicated EUniWell website.

Semmelweis University’s involvement in the EUniWell program is supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund (NKFIH).

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