Communication Needs at Hospitals

Recently there has been more and more cases of deaf people or parents suing hospitals for not meeting their communication needs such as providing a live sign language interpreter. This has been an age old issue. Even when communication technology is advancing with such things as the new video remote interpreting technology but is not considered adequate enough by some to meet the needs of those who depend mostly on sign language during hospital visits, especially during emergency situations.

This is an interesting issue since nearly 30 million people in the United States have hearing loss with almost half of them with severe to profound hearing loss. Approximately 900,000 people are Deaf (ie culturally deaf) in the United States. So, not all of the 10 to 15 million people with severe to profound hearing loss signs but rely on a variety of ways to communicate. And technology nowadays is helping fill the communication gap.

There is no one single answer that will solve all of these communication problems. With emergency situations communication needs become doubly pressing while regular hospital or doctor visits could require less "stringent" communication needs.

One hospital, the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, will buy two UbiDuo communication devices, which meet ADA compliance requirements, to help communicate with deaf patients or deaf parents who bring their children at the hospital. Sometimes it takes up to an hour until an interpreter shows up but with a communication device the conversation with a doctor or nurse can begin immediately. Whether it'll be used during an emergency situation with a d/Deaf person is an unknown but at least they'll have something to help facilitate communication with a deaf person. Regardless, whenever a technology helps reduce the communication gap between deaf and hearing people it's always a plus and step closer to greater independency. But sometimes even a human element in certain circumstances cannot simply be replaced when it comes to having an interpreter.