Abstract
Adoption of mask wearing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic alters daily communication. To assess communication barriers associated with mask wearing in patient-clinician interactions and individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. This pilot cross-sectional survey study included the general population, health care workers, and health care workers who are deaf or hard of hearing in the United States. Volunteers were sampled via an opt-in survey panel and nonrandomized convenience sampling. The general population survey was conducted between January 5 and January 8, 2021. The health care worker surveys were conducted between December 3, 2020, and January 3, 2021. Respondents viewed 2 short videos of a study author wearing both a standard and transparent N95 mask and answered questions regarding mask use, communication, preference, and fit. Surveys took 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Participants' perceptions were assessed surrounding the use of both mask types related to communication and the ability to express emotions. The national survey consisted of 1000 participants (mean [SD] age, 48.7 [18.5] years; 496 [49.6%] women) with a response rate of 92.25%. The survey of general health care workers consisted of 123 participants (mean [SD] age, 49.5 [9.0] years; 84 [68.3%] women), with a response rate of 11.14%. The survey of health care workers who are deaf or hard of hearing consisted of 45 participants (mean [SD] age, 54.5 [9.0] years; 30 [66.7%] women) with a response rate of 23.95%. After viewing a video demonstrating a study author wearing a transparent N95 mask, 781 (78.1%) in the general population, 109 general health care workers (88.6%), and 38 health care workers who are deaf or hard of hearing (84.4%) were able to identify the emotion being expressed, in contrast with 201 (20.1%), 25 (20.5%), and 11 (24.4%) for the standard opaque N95 mask. In the general population, 450 (45.0%) felt positively about interacting with a health care worker wearing a transparent mask; 76 general health care workers (61.8%) and 37 health care workers who are deaf or hard of hearing (82.2%) felt positively about wearing a transparent mask to communicate with patients. The findings of this study suggest that transparent masks could help improve communication during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Highlights
Universal mask wearing serves as a crucial public health measure in preventing the spread of COVID-19.1 studies have shown that masks may negatively affect communication and one’s ability to convey emotions such as empathy, which may impair patient-clinician relationships.[2,3] the use of masks presents unique challenges to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH)
450 (45.0%) felt positively about interacting with a health care worker wearing a transparent mask; 76 general health care workers (61.8%) and 37 health care workers who are deaf or hard of hearing (82.2%) felt positively about wearing a transparent mask to communicate with patients
The findings of this study suggest that transparent masks could help improve communication during the COVID-19 pandemic, for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing
Summary
Universal mask wearing serves as a crucial public health measure in preventing the spread of COVID-19.1 studies have shown that masks may negatively affect communication and one’s ability to convey emotions such as empathy, which may impair patient-clinician relationships.[2,3] the use of masks presents unique challenges to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). The potential for prolonged use of face masks after the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in health care settings, heightens the importance of addressing these challenges.[9,10,11,12]
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