DEI/Health Equity
1
Date of Presentation
5-2-2024 12:00 AM
College
Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries mandated the use of facial masks in public environments, especially in healthcare settings.[3] While this was beneficial in reducing the spread of the coronavirus disease, it created many challenges for the deaf/HoH community.[4] In particular, it limited effective communication between healthcare providers and deaf/HoH patients. It was found that masks limit word recognition for both deaf/HoH and non-deaf/HoH individuals. Additionally, both surgical and N95 masks hinder word recognition for deaf/HoH individuals and significantly impact communication during medical appointments.
Keywords
COVID-19, HoH, Deaf, masks, communication, ASL, Persons With Hearing Impairments, Sign Language, Physician-Patient Relations
Disciplines
Health and Medical Administration | Health Services Research | Medical Humanities | Medicine and Health Sciences | Social Psychology and Interaction | Speech and Hearing Science
Document Type
Poster
DOI
10.31986/issn.2689-0690_rdw.stratford_research_day.94_2024
Included in
Health and Medical Administration Commons, Health Services Research Commons, Medical Humanities Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons, Speech and Hearing Science Commons
The Impact of the COVID-19 Mask Mandate on Effective Communication Between Healthcare Providers and Deaf/HoH Patients
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries mandated the use of facial masks in public environments, especially in healthcare settings.[3] While this was beneficial in reducing the spread of the coronavirus disease, it created many challenges for the deaf/HoH community.[4] In particular, it limited effective communication between healthcare providers and deaf/HoH patients. It was found that masks limit word recognition for both deaf/HoH and non-deaf/HoH individuals. Additionally, both surgical and N95 masks hinder word recognition for deaf/HoH individuals and significantly impact communication during medical appointments.