Communicating in the Time of COVID

As we become more accustomed to wearing masks, it may be easy to take how we communicate with patients for granted. However, for those who are d/Deaf or h/Hard-of-h/Hearing, masks add yet another barrier to communication.

Now more than ever we need to make medicine accessible and set a precedent for years to come, with or without masks. What can we as (future) health professionals do that?

Here are some tips for communicating with patients:

1. Ask. When you introduce yourself ask them if there is anything you can do to ease communication between the two of you. Should we write/type things down? Should we use a live transcription app? Should we gesture? Do we need an interpreter?
   

   1. The patient does not need to disclose their hearing abilities if they are not comfortable, but asking if we can improve communication will open an avenue of mutual understanding and respect moving forward.

1. Awareness. Once you begin the appointment, be aware of how you speak. Those with and without hearing loss will have a harder time understanding what you are saying due to the mask. How do we combat that issue?
   

   1. Speak clearly (but do not exaggerate).

   2. Speak slowly (but again, do not exaggerate).

   3. Project (but do not yell).

   4. Speak concisely. If the patient is still having trouble understanding you, reword the phrase.

   5. Face the patient. In addition to wearing a mask, facing away from the patient decreases and distorts the speech signal and therefore will be more difficult for the patient to perceive and understand.

   6. Check in for understanding before moving on.

1. Apps. There are countless apps for android and apple that are free and accessible. Text-to-speech technology is especially valuable to use when communicating with patients.

See below for more in-depth information on the points discussed above:

https://www.nad.org/covid19-communication-access-recs-for-hospital/

https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/2020-0527-communication-masks-off/full/

https://chchearing.org/blog/face-masks-hearing-loss-communication-tips/

https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/communicating-with-people-with-hearing-loss

https://www.chadruffinmd.com/blog/2020/3/29/covid-19-communicating-in-the-hospital-for-dhh

This is by no means an exhaustive list of resources or information presented in this post. However, we hope these guidelines can provide you, the healthcare provider, a better foundation in communicating with those who are d/Deaf or h/Hard-of-h/Hearing, with or without a mask.

If you have any questions, comments, or resources of your own, please share below!