“…Deaf participants in another study in Paraíba, in the northeast region of Brazil, mentioned the use of writing, lip reading and, especially, the presence of a family member as communication strategies used by health professionals when providing care. They also referred to the loss of privacy and the right to understand their health-disease process, as well as the ineffectiveness of these communication strategies for their full integration and participation in society (20) . It is worth noting that communication with the deaf, when mediated by an accompanying person or interpreter, besides breaking the professional-patient bond, hinders access to information and direct contact with the patient, thereby breaching the confidentiality of the issues related to the latter.…”