For telephone communications, many people who are deaf or hard of hearing use a tele- typewriter (TTY) rather than a standard telephone. These devices have a keyboard and a visual display for exchanging written messages over the telephone. The ADA estab- lished a free nationwide relay network to handle voice-to-TTY and TTY-to-voice calls. Individuals may use this network to call the hospital from a TTY. The relay consists of an operator with a TTY who receives the call from a TTY user and then places the call to the hospital. The caller types the message into the TTY and the operator relays the message by voice to the hospital staff person, listens to the staff person’s response, and types the response back to the caller. The hospital must be prepared to make and receive relay system calls, which may take a little longer than voice calls. For outgoing calls to a TTY user, simply dial 7-1-1 to reach a relay operator.
For more complicated and interactive communications, such as a patient’s discussion of symptoms with medical personnel, a physician’s presentation of diagnosis and treatment options to patients or family members, or a group therapy session, it may be necessary to provide a qualified sign language interpreter or other interpreter. (See Table 1) In the U.S., this usually means someone that excels at ASL. However, foreign-born patients or those whose first language is not English may use another form of signing. In fact, ASL is not exactly the same as British Sign Language (BSL).
SITUATIONS WHERE AN INTERPRETER MAY BE REQUIRED FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:
• discussing a patient’s symptoms and medical condition, medications, and medi- cal history
• explaining and describing medical conditions, tests, treatment options, medica- tions, surgery, and other procedures
• providing a diagnosis, prognosis, and recommendation for treatment • obtaining informed consent for treatment
• communicating with a patient during treatment, testing procedures, and during physician’s rounds
• providing instructions for medications, post-treatment activities, and follow-up treatments
• providing mental health services, including group or individual therapy, or coun- seling for patients and family members
• providing information about blood or organ donations • explaining living wills and powers of attorney • discussing complex billing or insurance matters
• making educational presentations, such as birthing and new parent classes, nutri- tion and weight management counseling, and CPR and first aid training.
From U.S. Department of Justice. Civil Rights Division. ADA Business Brief: “Communicating with people who are deaf or hard of hearing in hospital settings.” October 2003
http://www.ada.gov/hospcombr.htm
VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY: CROSS CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS OF GRIEF AT THE LOSS OF AN INFANT
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