Assessing Medical Students’ Knowledge of the Deaf Culture and Community in Puerto Rico: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background: Effective communication between health care professionals and Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D&HH) patients remains a challenge. Literature regarding health professionals’ knowledge of the D&HH community and their barriers toward health care access is limited in Puerto Rico and suggests a need for research. Therefore, this descriptive study aims to evaluate future physician’s knowledge about the Deaf culture and community in a student cohort at San Juan Bautista School of Medicine (SJBSM), with the objective of guiding our results toward improving our curriculum. Methods: Medical students answered a survey to evaluate their knowledge of D&HH patients. The survey consisted of 3 parts testing awareness, exposure, and knowledge of the Deaf community. Responses from the Knowledge section were graded using an answer key, and correct answers were added to create an overall continuous sum score per participant, with higher scores meaning higher knowledge. Participants were also asked to write in possible issues deaf patients may face when hospitalized, apart from communication problems. All data were recorded and used for descriptive analysis. Results: 158 (68%) medical students participated. 63% reported exposure to D&HH people, and 80% were aware of the Deaf culture. 21% of students answered to have attended an American Sign Language (ASL) class, and 86% expressed interest in taking an ASL class. The overall percentage of correct answers from all the medical groups evaluated was 39%, with increasing percent knowledge as medical student year increased. The most frequently listed problem by respondents that deaf patients may face when hospitalized was dealing with an emergency in the hospital, such as the fire alarm. Conclusion: Students from clinical years (MSIII & MSIV) showed a better understanding of the Deaf culture than students in pre-clinical years (MSI & MSII). Nevertheless, the knowledge was limited in all groups. The information generated is not only valuable for our school but the healthcare community as well. The literature related to Deaf culture, particularly in the medical setting in Puerto Rico, is limited. Therefore, there exists a need to continue investigating ways to improve medical students’ education of the Deaf culture and community.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Deaf Patients Among Healthcare Workers in Saudi Arabia: 2020-2021

“…Among Greek nurses [6], only 5.8% had ever attended a course related to disability, while attendance to SL courses was also deemed low (2.3%). This is contrary to the medical students in Puerto Rico [22], as 21% already attended the American Sign Language (ASL) course and 86% were interested in SL future-related courses.…”

“…In spite of these results, the overall knowledge of all HCWs still has big gaps. In Puerto Rico [22], they reported that increasing knowledge was associated with increasing medical year level. However, among American medical students [21], comparing the knowledge before and after the educational workshop, it was found that medical students' knowledge increased significantly after the four-hour workshop.…”

“…In Malaysia [24], about half of the participants have a misconception about the need for deaf patients' services, with a vast majority thinking that communication is a bit of a challenge when providing services among this population group. On the other hand, in Puerto Rico [22], the most common problem that deaf people might encounter during hospitalization is dealing with emergency events (i.e., fire alarms).…”

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“…À medida que aumenta o período dos estudantes de medicina, observa-se um aumento no percentual de conhecimento. Para os estudantes, a maior questão que um surdo pode enfrentar quando internado é lidar com emergências em um hospital 6 .…”

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“…Apesar disso, ainda se notam inconformidades na comunicação entre médicos e pacientes surdos, refletindo em um possível prejuízo na qualidade do atendimento (6,7) . Nesse contexto, na ausência de capacitação dos profissionais de saúde, as pessoas surdas tornam-se dependentes da disponibilidade de intérpretes e familiares para proporcionar condições mínimas de atendimento (8) .…”