Recorded presentation

Helen Margellos, MPH¹, Teri Hedding, MA², Gary Kaufman, MD³, Toby Perlman, PhD⁴, Linda Miller, MS Ed⁵, and Raymond Rodgers, MSW⁴. (1) Sinai Health System, Sinai Urban Health Institute, California at 15th Street, K450, Chicago, IL 60608, 773-257-5259, marhe@sinai.org, (2) Deaf Access Program, Sinai Health System, California at 15th Street, Chicago, IL 60608, (3) Deaf Access Program/Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, Sinai Health System, California at 15th Street, Chicago, IL 60608, (4) Behavioral Health Services, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, 938 West Nelson, Chicago, IL 60657, (5) Care Management, Sinai Health System, California at 15th Street, Chicago, IL 60608

The majority of Deaf persons in the U.S. rely primarily on American Sign Language (ASL) for communication. Few are fluent in written and spoken English. Consequently, Deaf persons face major barriers in accessing quality health care, comprehending health information, and in communicating with health care providers. Little published research exists documenting how such communication barriers impact on their health status, knowledge and behaviors. Chicago’s two largest Deaf-serving health care systems collaboratively designed and implemented a 139-item standardized, face-to-face survey of Deaf patients. Information pertaining to health status, health care experiences, communication styles, barriers to accessing health care, health knowledge, attitudes and behaviors was collected from a diverse group of 203 participants. Results reveal low levels of knowledge about health and healthy behaviors across most topic areas. For example, 40% of respondents could not identify any warning signs of a heart attack, while 62% could not identify any warning signs of a stroke. Also, respondents reporting multiple sources of information consistently had higher levels of knowledge, even after controlling for level of education. Another unique contribution of the project was the use of an instrument measuring health-related quality of life (SF-12) with a Deaf population. Our presentation will summarize key findings related to access to and quality of care, health knowledge, health status, and health-related quality of life. We will conclude with a description of the unique challenges associated with designing and conducting a standardized interview in ASL, along with recommendations for future research and policy.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the impact of communication barriers on the health status, knowledge, and health care experiences of Deaf individuals
• Identify steps that can be taken towards overcoming such barriers, and improving the health status, knowledge and health care experiences of Deaf persons
• Understand the importance of further health-related research with the Deaf

Keywords: Deaf, Survey

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employee of one of the health care systems conducting the research.

Recorded presentation