TY - JOUR
T1 - Communication barriers to optimal access to emergency rooms according to deaf and hard-of-hearing patients and health care workers
T2 - A mixed-methods study
AU - Tannenbaum-Baruchi, Carolina
AU - Feder-Bubis, Paula
AU - Aharonson-Daniel, Limor
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Academic Emergency Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.
PY - 2024/1/1
Y1 - 2024/1/1
N2 - Background: This study aimed to identify communication barriers between health care workers (HCWs) and deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) patients. Both perspectives are offered to provide a comprehensive understanding. Methods: Two consecutive studies were conducted from 2018 to 2021. Study 1 comprised mixed methods, employing a cross-sectional survey (n = 288) and in-depth interviews (n = 9) with DHH participants, utilizing accessible tools including sign language. Study 2 involved a cross-sectional survey of health care emergency workers without hearing loss (N = 391). Results: The perceived self-efficacy of DHH patients, and not their hearing loss, was linked with their ability to communicate independently with HCWs. No significant differences in successful communication with these providers were found vis-à-vis mode of communication utilized (sign language, writing, interpreter, etc.). In the qualitative findings, DHH patients noted two urgent care barriers: HCWs' communication unfamiliarity and patients’ communication accessibility issues. Quantitative findings indicated a main barrier: difficulties in communicating with HCWs in general (57%) and specifically in the emergency room (ER; 65%). Only 28.8% reported being able to independently communicate with ER staff. Health care providers were not familiar with effective communication strategies when treating these patients. Respondents indicating that communication was not a barrier to care were mainly administrative staff (54.55%), compared to nurses (32.74%) and physicians (22.58%). Conclusions: Communication solutions are needed to improve access to health services, especially in emergencies. Providing medical staff training on effective communication strategies with these patients could simplify interactions and reduce the reliance on hearing family members, potentially improving medical care. Implementing a communication policy for frontline staff, along with the use of visual aids, is crucial. Health care professionals may not realize that small changes can greatly improve communication with DHH patients.
AB - Background: This study aimed to identify communication barriers between health care workers (HCWs) and deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) patients. Both perspectives are offered to provide a comprehensive understanding. Methods: Two consecutive studies were conducted from 2018 to 2021. Study 1 comprised mixed methods, employing a cross-sectional survey (n = 288) and in-depth interviews (n = 9) with DHH participants, utilizing accessible tools including sign language. Study 2 involved a cross-sectional survey of health care emergency workers without hearing loss (N = 391). Results: The perceived self-efficacy of DHH patients, and not their hearing loss, was linked with their ability to communicate independently with HCWs. No significant differences in successful communication with these providers were found vis-à-vis mode of communication utilized (sign language, writing, interpreter, etc.). In the qualitative findings, DHH patients noted two urgent care barriers: HCWs' communication unfamiliarity and patients’ communication accessibility issues. Quantitative findings indicated a main barrier: difficulties in communicating with HCWs in general (57%) and specifically in the emergency room (ER; 65%). Only 28.8% reported being able to independently communicate with ER staff. Health care providers were not familiar with effective communication strategies when treating these patients. Respondents indicating that communication was not a barrier to care were mainly administrative staff (54.55%), compared to nurses (32.74%) and physicians (22.58%). Conclusions: Communication solutions are needed to improve access to health services, especially in emergencies. Providing medical staff training on effective communication strategies with these patients could simplify interactions and reduce the reliance on hearing family members, potentially improving medical care. Implementing a communication policy for frontline staff, along with the use of visual aids, is crucial. Health care professionals may not realize that small changes can greatly improve communication with DHH patients.
KW - accessibility
KW - communication
KW - deaf and hard-of-hearing patients
KW - emergency room
KW - health care workers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85208033169&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/acem.15037
DO - 10.1111/acem.15037
M3 - Article
C2 - 39482896
AN - SCOPUS:85208033169
SN - 1069-6563
JO - Academic Emergency Medicine
JF - Academic Emergency Medicine
ER -