Telehealth Without Barriers: Deaf Patients’ Needs
Do you use telehealth? For many deaf patients, virtual care can be frustrating and complicated. From struggling to access interpreters and captions, to confusion with medical terminology and instructions, the barriers are real.
But telehealth doesn’t have to be this way. It can be easier, more inclusive, and truly patient-centered.
How?
By listening to us.
Stay Informed in ASL: We’ve got you covered! Sign up with your email at deafhealthaccess.org/sign-up or follow us on social media for new and current health updates.
This update is provided as part of the “Building Capacity for Deaf American Sign Language Users in Virtual Healthcare PCOR/CER” project, which is funded through a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award (EACB-35309). The views presented in this work are solely the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of PCORI.
To learn more about the project, visit: www.pcori.org/research-results/2024/building-capacity-deaf-american-sign-language-users-virtual-healthcare-pcorcer. For project updates, follow us on social media or sign up with your email at deafhealthaccess.org/sign-up.
Transcript and Video Description
[Video Description: The post has a video thumbnail with blue shading overlaid. The middle has a text bubble that reads “Telehealth Without Barriers: Deaf Patients’ Needs” in white text with rose background. In this video, a white nonbinary queer person (Bee) is signing to the camera. Two clips feature Bee: in one, they are wearing a navy blue and maroon cardigan with their hair down and two gold necklaces; in another, they are wearing a black top layered with a navy blue button-down shirt. The video also includes several clips of individuals communicating through different technologies and connecting with providers. A circular video of Bee signing appears at the top of the screen throughout. The screen fades to show a thumbnail of a faded white background of a doctor holding hands with another individual] Deaf. Healthy. DeafHealth. Learn more at www.deafhealthaccess.org.
Transcript: Ever wondered what matters most to deaf patients in telehealth?
Telehealth can offer safe, affordable, and quality care and it’s grown rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology is advancing fast, but is it keeping up with the needs of deaf communities?
How can we create telehealth solutions that are truly patient-centered for deaf patients? Do deaf communities experience telehealth the same way as others?
Our Coalition (group of experts, community advocates, researchers) tackled these questions through brainstorming: from virtual tools to key research questions for deaf patients.
We narrowed it down to nine top priorities with input from all members:
Access to Support Services (e.g. ability to request accommodations for telehealth, tech support availability, and what happens when existing method fails)
Communication Access (e.g. convenience, timeliness, and availability of interpreters, captioning, braille, and other preferred communication methods for telehealth, comparison to in-person care)
Digital Literacy & Knowledge of Telehealth (e.g. users’ comfort with using technology, prior experience with telehealth & knowing when or how to use it appropriately)
Healthcare Navigation Literacy (e.g. ability to make informed health decisions, understand their level of health literacy)
Patient Experience and Satisfaction (e.g. comfort, trust, and relationship with the provider during telehealth, sense of being heard and understood)
Platform Usability & Navigation (e.g. interface design, ease of use, screen control features, ability to add others to the telehealth visit)
Privacy & Security (e.g. HIPAA compliance, video recording, having a private space for telehealth appointments)
Quality of Care Delivered (e.g. quality of communication access such as medical knowledge and quality of interpreter, provider cultural and linguistic competency, clarity of provider communication through telehealth, understanding of medical information through telehealth, comparison to in-person care)
Technology Access & Infrastructure (e.g. access to devices required for telehealth, reliable internet/Wi-Fi, connection quality - especially in rural areas)
If we want telehealth that works for everyone, we need to start here.]