Ethnographic analysis of communication and the deaf community’s rights in the clinical context

Abstract

Background: Communication is a key factor in the health system. In the case of Deaf Community healthcare interactions could be affected by communication and it can also have a negative impact on health and jeopardise some of their health rights.

Objectives: Aims (i) know the communication access difficulties of deaf people in healthcare context (ii) determine how these difficulties violate their rights.

Methods: Ethnographical study.

Results: Subjects were 25 deaf adults (7 men; 18 women). Two themes were identified (1) barriers to information access – right to information; (2) communication barriers – right to privacy and to decide.

Conclusions: Communication difficulties and access to information have an impact on the health of deaf people, and violate health rights. In addition, their language rights like a community are also violate.

Impact statement: Research could have a positive impact on improvement to access, communication and safe in the Deaf Community, in a clinical context.

Keywords:

• health communication
• deaf persons
• patient rights
• community

ORCID

Dolors Rodríguez-Martín http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5523-9954

Anna Falcó-Pegueroles http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3702-3009