Working in the Health Sector: Communicating Effectively with Someone Who is Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing - Essay Example

?Communicating effectively with someone who is deaf or hard-of- hearing Inserts His/ Her Inserts Grade InsertsTutor's Name (10, 08, 2012) Outline: Part A 1. Verbal and Non-verbal Communication Skills/Factors A. Introduction B. Verbal and Non-verbal Communication Skills/Factors C. Conclusion Part B 2. How I could communicate effectively Communicating effectively with someone who is deaf or hard-of- hearing Part A 1. Verbal and Non-verbal Communication Skills/Factors A. Introduction Working in the health sector can be less fulfilling if one cannot effectively communicate with the patients. Barnett (2002) states that effective communication is essential and will undoubtedly lead to good outcomes in assisting patients. Effective communication will lead to better management in healthcare. There are important skills that could significantly facilitate communicating with patients who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, and these skills will be discussed in this essay. B. Skills that contribute to effective hearing According to Power and Power (2004, p. 350), acquisition of communication skills enables students to work effectively as healthcare providers. Skills required to deal with particular patients depend on the individual and will vary with age. Steinberg et al. (2006, p. 262) add that the majority of those with hearing issues are elderly. They report poor health as compared to general population, an issue which is attributed to communication. Effective communication helps the deaf and those hard-of-hearing to give their medical history and have appropriate intervention. The health care provider is required to assess the deaf or hard-of-hearing person’s background, language knowledge and level of education to select the best skills to use in communication (Samady et al., 2008, p. 480). Barnett (2002) notes that the deaf or hard-of-hearing use sign language, especially if they grew up with the challenge from childhood. Some learn to use visual language such as reading of lips. Those who become deaf or hard-of-hearing in adulthood experience hardships in mastering communication skills. However, they have the advantage of having been able to speak; therefore, it becomes easier to communicate in the same language. Power and Power (2004, p. 350) reveal that a combination of verbal and non-verbal skills is required for effective communication with deaf or hard-of-hearing patients. These skills include speech reading or lip reading; writing; listening to speech; mastering a system of visual language; and visual aids or using an interpreter. For effective communication, a combination of one, two or more of the skills may be necessary. Speech reading is common with people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. They learn as they grow, depending on the common language used. The major challenge with speech reading is that not all speech sounds are represented on the lips during speech. For speech reading to be successful, there should be a distance and enough light to see the lips of the speaker. The conversation should not be done in a hurry. Avoid sounds that may cause discomfort (Meador & Zazove, 2005, p. 219). Lezzoni et al. (2010, p. 356) claim that visual aids have been successfully used and can be used in the healthcare context. Healthcare providers can use diagrams, pictures or charts to make clarifications and show medical terminology. Those who can only hear will listen and only give gestures as a reply. They may nod, smile, shake hands and use other gestures to communicate. The gestures will vary depending on the community where they live. O’Hearn (2006) adds that visual aids should be clear and correctly labeled. When they are used, they should be placed close to the speaker so that eye contact is maintained. Visual language is another skill commonly used with deaf or hard-of-hearing people. Barnett (2002) suggests that the healthcare provider may be required to use the visual language if the patient uses. Visual language is used in combination of various forms which include finger spelling and signs. Finger spelling uses fingers to spell words. Each hand and finger is used to denote specific letters in the alphabet. Finger spelling is often used in the absence of signs. Signs have been conceptualized to refer to specific situations. Use of signs makes communication easy and saves time. Users of visual language prefer to use signs more than finger spelling. They use finger spelling for concepts that do not have signs or new vocabulary. Visual language requires that the healthcare provider be keen with the most suitable way of communication for the patient. A higher level of patience is required than in using signs and figure spelling. Finger spelling takes a longer period than signs. Healthcare workers who can understand the visual language facilitate good communication and build a good relationship with the patients. The patients will trust such workers, since they seem to care about them. Pilling and Barrett (2008) argue that people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing have been marginalized and may treat those without hearing impairment with mistrust. Healthcare providers can show that they care by learning visual language communication. Slight knowledge of the visual language can be translated as a sign that they care about deaf or hard-of-hearing patients. An interpreter may become necessary if other forms of communication prove to be unsuccessful. Interpreters may be people living with deaf or hard-of-hearing patients. People who know visual language may also be hired in some cases. Interpreters are used when there is no means of communicating, as Witte and Kuzel (2000, p. 17) point out. When sensitive matters such as surgery are going to be undertaken, an interpreter may be necessary to give the actual information to the patient. Interpreters assist in overcoming challenges of misinterpretation. They save time and can make conversation more comfortable for the deaf or hard-of-hearing patients. Some patients may choose to use interpreters to perform interpretations or translations. They are necessary if verbal and vocabulary disparity exists. Obtaining an interpreter who is certified by a deaf society will be important. They should be willing to revisit issues that were wrongly communicated and require clarification. Even when the interpreter is present, the healthcare provider should keep contact with, and direct questions to, the patient (Power et al., 2007). Writing can bring success in communication when other alternatives, such as speech reading and lip reading, prove to be ineffective. However, it can be tedious and will depend on the willingness of the patient to write (Barnett & Franks, 2002, p. 107). Writing may end up being the only way to communicate if the patient and healthcare provider are unable to communicate. This will depend on the level of education and background language used by the patient and the healthcare provider. Use of simple language with simple sentence structure will be an effective way to communicate. A healthcare provider should be willing to adjust to the communication method the patient who is deaf or hard-of-hearing is comfortable communicating with. Their experiences with the community, healthcare system and families cause them to feel neglected because of their challenge. Being sensitive to their needs and treating them with respect is essential. Barnett (2002) further articulates that the healthcare provider should make note of the prevailing situations of patients and offer understanding to them. If communication is ineffective, healthcare provided may not be appropriate for the needs of the patient. It may lead to disputes if the patient did not understand some procedures like surgery. Ineffective communication will cause the preferences of the patient to be overlooked; therefore, the patient may not follow the healthcare workers’ instructions in case of treatment (Green & Pope, 2001). C. Conclusion Communicating with the deaf or hard-of-hearing can be effective if the healthcare provider is able to adjust to the forms of communication they are accustomed to. Acquiring more than one skill to communicate will lead to an increased efficiency. Learning how to read lips and interpret visual language can significantly improve communication. Other significant skills to aid in communication include writing, hearing or listening to speech, using visual aids and involving the interpreter. Part B 2. How I could communicate effectively To provide satisfactory patient service, I would learn and improve both verbal and nonverbal skills used in communicating with deaf and hard-of-hearing patients. I will take the initiative to learn basic visual language and gestures. I will continue practicing patience and listening skills I use when working with patients. Though I have not used visual language before, I will ensure that I create a good environment for the patient to feel comfortable. I will utilize visual aids and use an interpreter if there is need. Unlike before, I would be more careful to maintain eye contact with a deaf or hard-of-hearing patient. When changing the subject of the conversation, I would make sure that it is understood and ensure that the patient understands everything that we are discussing. I will be patient and allow this person present his or her knowledge. I will make use of a certified interpreter if I encounter communication challenges. I will be careful and make the patient comfortable and allow him or her to talk about his or her health need without interruptions. I will also allow the patient to write if he or she needs to communicate something confidential. At all times, I will maintain calmness since deaf patients may become uncomfortable if I look disinterested, bored, scared, shocked or frustrated. In case of other concerns, I will be careful to share with the patient my concerns and assure him or her of confidentiality and safety. Finally, I will make arrangements for bibliographical materials which can assist deaf or hard-of-hearing patients obtain more information on the discussed subject. References Barnett, S. (2002). Communication with deaf and hard-of-hearing people: A guide for medical education. Academic Medicine, 77(7), 694-700. Barnett, S., & Franks, P. (2002). Healthcare utilization and adults who are deaf: relationship with age at onset of deafness. Health Service Res., 37,105-118. Green, C. A., & Pope, C. R. (2001). Effects of hearing impairment on use of health services among the elderly. Journal of the Aging Health, 13, 315-328. Lezzoni, L. I., O’Day, B. L., Killeen, M., & Harker, H. (2010). Communicating about health care: Observations from persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Annals of Internal Medicine, 140, 356-362. Meador, H. E., & Zazove, P. (2005). Health care interactions with deaf culture Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, 18(3), 218-222. O’Hearn, A. (2006). Deaf women’s experiences and satisfaction with prenatal care: A comparative study. Family Medicine, 38(10), 712-716. Pilling, D., & Barrett, P. (2008). Text Communication Preferences of Deaf People in the United Kingdom. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 13(1), 92-103. Power, M. R., Power, D. (2004). Everyone here speaks TXT: deaf people using SMS in Australia and the rest of the world, Journal of Deaf Studies and Education, 9(3), 333-343. Power, M., Power, D., & Horstmanshof, L. (2007). Deaf People Communicating Via SMS, TTY, Relay Service, Fax, and Computers in Australia. Journal of Deaf studies and Deaf Education, 12(1), 80-92. Samady, W., Sadler, G. R., Nakaji, M., Malcarne, V. L., Trybus, R., & Athale, N. (2008). Translation of the multidimensional health locus of control scales for users of American sign language. Public Health Nursing, 25(5), 480-489. Steinberg, A. G., Barnett, S., Meador, H. E., Wiggins, E. A., & Zazove, P. (2006). Health care system accessibility. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 21(3), 260-266. Witte, T. N., & Kuzel, A.J. (2000). Elderly deaf patients' health care experiences. Journal of American Board Family Practice, 13(1), 17-22. Read More