Deaf and Hard of Hearing Healthcare Disparities
A study published this month in JAMA Network Open by ISU faculty members Elizabeth Schniedewind and Ryan Lindsay, along with Steven Snow from the Idaho Council for Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides empirical data supporting that Deaf patients experience discrimination when accessing health care and have long reported the subpar communication they experience.
In this cross-sectional study including eight simulated patients, those who could hear were nearly two times more likely to secure appointments at 445 clinics than were simulated patients who were deaf. Among 80 unsuccessful requests made by simulated patients who were deaf, 48% were associated with a request for interpretation.
The findings of this study suggest the patients who are deaf and request interpreter services may experience diminished access to care at primary medical and dental clinics.
View the full article at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2775364
View a Graphical Abstract
