Abstract
Equitable care considers the unique needs of an individual-including social determinants of health such as language, race, and gender. Health equity and providing equitable care are considered fundamental to medicine, however, in practice there continues to be significant gaps to providing equitable care. There is a growing body of research on health care disparities, such as research on patients and families who have a preferred language other than English or French (PLOEF), who have worse health outcomes. Language barriers have been associated with increased risk of hospital admission, increased risks of misdiagnosis, poorer patient understanding of and adherence to prescribed treatment, lower patient satisfaction, and increased risk of experiencing adverse events. This commentary aims to examine issues faced by patients and families with PLOEF, particularly among hospitalized children and youth, and propose how the paediatric community can work to improve their care and health outcomes.