An investigation into the language barrier between health professionals and the Deaf community, and how it affects healthcare and doctor-patient relations

This study looked into the cultural competency of physicians when interacting with patients who identify themselves as part of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Through the course of this paper, it was found that the language barrier between these two communities played a large role in healthcare disparities for the D/HoH community. The language and culture barrier contributed to the misconceptions that are commonly found in the hearing world about the Deaf community, including assumptions about Deaf patients' opinion on their hearing loss, the efficacy of yelling, and the notion that all Deaf people can lip read with 100% accuracy. In addition, the perspectives of both the healthcare professionals and D/HoH patients was analyzed. Finally, the efficacy of current hospitals solutions for the language barrier was evaluated, particularly the use of video interpreting in hospital settings. More lasting solutions were proposed as an extension of this study, with an emphasis on education in all field of healthcare.