Deaf Patients Confront Difficulties In Obtaining Basic Health Care

Inadequate healthcare is received by thousands of the United Kingdom's
Deaf patients because they are struggling to communicate with their
healthcare providers, according to an article released on October 1,
2008 in BMJ.



The term Deaf is defined as individuals born Deaf and prefer to
communicate in British Sign Language. Michael Paddock and
colleagues from Kings College London School of Medicine and South West
London and St George's Mental Healthcare NHS Trust comment on the
general lack of awareness of Deaf issues as well as deficit in
communication support for Deaf people.



According to the background information in the article, nine million
people in the UK are estimated to be hard of hearing, and a number that
constitutes almost one-sixth of the population. Studies have shown that
70% of Deaf patients do not have interpreters present in consultations,
and 28% of Deaf people limit visits to the general practitioners
because they fear poor communication.



This is especially true for Deaf individuals with mental health
problems, which accounts for over three million Deaf people at some
point in their lives. This means that approximately 40% of Deaf people
suffer from mental health problems in contrast with 25% of the general
population.



In light of this issue, the use of signed communication is associated
with a decrease in mental health problems. the authors of this piece
advocate strongly for basic Deaf awareness and the performance of
"appropriate" communication methods in the curriculum for medical
students. This, they say, will help to assure the proper access to
health services for Deaf patients.



A Sensory Awareness program has been developed and implemented already
as part of the medical curriculum in King's
College London. Providing students with the skills necessary to enhance
communication with Deaf and hearing-impaired patients. This includes
training in behaviors such as checking hearing aids and habits that
maximize the communication of patients who rely on lip-reading. This
module additionally has a part named 'Deaf
Awareness and British Sign Language', in year three.



The authors of the article make a strong recommendation that, if a
medical curriculum is meant to produce competent medical professionals,
they should "listen to patients
and respond to their concerns and preferences" and "give patients the
information they want or need in a way they can understand." As a
result, other medical schools should follow King's College's example
and offer a similar course to help their students be more attuned to
the needs of the Deaf population. 



Actions speak louder than words

Michael Paddock, Bernadette O'Neil, Andy Holwell

BMJ 2008;337:a1882

Click Here For Journal



Anna Sophia McKenney






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