Effect of face mask use on hearing impaired adult patients

Abstract

Background: In many countries, the increased use of face masks and other face coverings has been adopted as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The world health organization has given guidance that encourages the use of face masks in public settings as well as in settings where it is not possible to observe physical distancing.Methods: This research project was carried out from August 2021 to November 2021 in the ENT Department of Sligo University Hospital. The 100 patients with hearing impairment were randomly sampled from patients seeking health care services in the ENT clinic. Patients with normal hearing were excluded from the study. Data was collected with the help of questionnaire. The collected data was pre-coded for entry in SPSS and analyzed.Results: The respondents comprised 55 females and 45 males. Majority (80%) of the respondents generally agreed that the use of face masks has a negative impact on communication and hearing, especially for patients with hearing impairment. The 60% of respondents agree that the use of clear masks may provide the option to lip-read. The 80% of respondents agree that the use of face masks has a negative impact on communication and 50% of respondents agree that poor communication is likely to result in patient dissatisfaction.Conclusions: It was evident that most hearing-impaired patients are aware of the importance of facial expression in communication and most rely heavily on lip reading in addition to other facial features.