Communicating with Patients with Disability: Perspectives of Practicing Physicians

Area of Science:

• Medical Communication
• Disability Studies
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Effective communication and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are crucial for patient-centered care for individuals with disabilities.
• Physicians' perspectives on communication experiences with patients with disabilities are essential for identifying areas of improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand physicians' perspectives on communication experiences with people with disabilities.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to effective communication in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• Conducted twenty semi-structured individual interviews with physicians.
• Transcribed interview recordings verbatim for thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Identified four key themes: communication with deaf/hard-of-hearing individuals, those with vision impairment, those with intellectual disability, and recommendations for improvement.
• Revealed gaps in communication practices, with some physician preferences conflicting with patient needs and ADA guidelines (e.g., interpreter preferences, limited braille materials, reduced patient involvement for those with intellectual disability).

Conclusions:

• Effective communication is a legal requirement under the ADA and vital for quality healthcare for people with disabilities.
• Significant gaps persist in ensuring effective communication, indicating a need for formal physician training in communicating with diverse patient populations.