Deaf patients having difficult accessing health care due to communication issues

Deaf/deaf populations who are primarily American Sign Language (ASL) users have difficulty accessing health care due to communication barriers related to poor sign language resource utilization by health care workers and providers. A lack of communication between deaf patients and health care providers leads to mis-communication, misunderstanding, misdiagnoses, and poor outcomes. Clinical questions for this project are: How can improved communication in health care for the deaf patient improve access, understanding, and outcomes, as compared to poor or inappropriate communication? How can routes of communication be improved for the deaf patient in accessing health care? The purpose of this mixed methodology project is to determine how this population feels about the health care they receive, and if improving modes of communication would significantly improve their health care experiences, understanding, and overall outcomes. Theoretical frameworks utilized are Betty Neuman’s Systems Model, Joyce Travelbee’s Human-to-Human Relationship Model, and the Behavior Change Cognitive Theory. Investigation for this project was conducted in Tucson, Arizona, involving the Deaf/deaf population within local and surrounding communities, some who are patients of local medical practices, some friends and family members who are also Deaf/deaf, and others who are students of a local Deaf/deaf school. Qualitative questions were used to gather data, which were scored by a Likert scale and analyzed in a quantitative manner using charts. Results indicate moderate dissatisfaction with communication processes, poor understanding of directions given, and decreased over-all health outcomes based on current practices.