Elderly Deaf Patients' Health Care Experiences
| Autor: | Todd N. Witte, Anton J. Kuzel |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2000 |
| Předmět: |
Minority group
Office Visits Hearing loss Population Deafness Sign language Persons With Hearing Impairments computer.software_genre Nursing Health care otorhinolaryngologic diseases Humans Medicine education Aged Physician-Patient Relations education.field_of_study business.industry Communication Barriers Age Factors Virginia Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Focus Groups Middle Aged Focus group medicine.symptom Family Practice business computer Interpreter |
| Zdroj: | The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 13:17-22 |
| ISSN: | 1558-7118 1557-2625 |
| Popis: | Background: Approximately 10% of the US population has some degree of hearing loss, and 2 million Americans are deaf. Most medical school curricula and major textbooks characterize deafness as pathologic condition only, which is at odds with the movement to understand the Deaf population as a minority group with a unique language and cultural tradition. Physicians might therefore be unprepared to meet the needs of deaf patients effectively and sensitively. This study seeks to understand the health care experiences of elderly Deaf adults in Richmond, Va. Methods: The authors conducted focus groups of elderly Deaf persons. Real-time voice-interpretation of the sign language communication allowed for tape recording and full transcription. The authors independently analyzed the transcripts using an editing style, and incorporated feedback on their interpretation from participants. Results: Participants experienced many practical barriers to effective health care, including problems with scheduling appointments and communicating with providers. They believed that providers are ill-prepared to care for them and worried that prejudice might be a more subtle obstacle. Participants seemed resigned to these circumstances. Conclusions: The authors suggest a possible explanation for this perspective, and make specific recommendations for three levels of competency in caring for deaf patients. When the provider and the office staff provide methods to communicate with deaf patients using telephone-assisted communication, qualified interpreters, and some basic knowledge of lipreading or sign language, the care of deaf patients is greatly enhanced and the physician-patient relationship improved. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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