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Patient Commentary
Terri Fear
Arch Fam Med. 2000;9:526.
A Deaf Person's Perspective
I believe that the article by Tamaskar et al was very well done. In my experience as a deaf person, it seems to me that the results are accurate for 97% of deaf people. I feel that the remaining 3% of people would be missing out on today's issues. In other words, D&HH persons are getting better health care now in the southeast Michigan area than they used to, especially in places like the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Elsewhere, more places are using interpreters, and more doctors and nurses seem to be willing to help D&HH persons with their needs.
However, some of my fellow deaf persons are still uncomfortable with using interpreters. Many of them still use their children to help deal with the communication barrier with the doctor. These people are behind the times, perhaps by 10 years, and may be the reason the study found what it did. Most D&HH people are being treated more appropriately these days compared to previous times. Nevertheless, I think physicians should consider having interpreters on their staff to improve the care for deaf persons. I also think that we need to work on educating everyone—both physicians and deaf people—about the American With Disabilities Act so that deaf patients can get interpreters when needed. This would definitely improve the system for everyone. Otherwise, I think the information presented in this study is important.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Teresa A. Fear is immediate past president of the Washtenaw County Deaf Club. Her primary language is American Sign Language (ASL). The grammar and syntax of ASL differ from that of English.
Ann Arbor, Mich
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