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
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.