Communication and Communication Support in Primary Care: A Survey of Deaf Patients

Abstract

Modern disability discrimination legislation puts a duty on health providers to facilitate access for patients with disabilities. Deaf people – those whose first language is sign language – can have difficulties accessing health care due to problems communicating with health professionals. Ninety-eight Deaf adults living in north-west England were interviewed about their experiences of consulting in primary care, and their preferences for, and use of, communication support. Over half the sample expressed a preference for professional sign interpreter support, but only 17% had an interpreter at their last consultation; just 11% preferred to consult alone, yet more than 50% actually consulted alone. On all questions for which comparative results were available for the general population, Deaf patients as a group reported substantially less communication and less satisfaction with their primary health care provider (p<0.001 in all cases). Around one in three left their last consultation uncertain if the doct...