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

Introduction The literature informs us that people who are Deaf frequently struggle with health services, which contributes to lower health literacy due to communication and language barriers. Few health professionals understand sign language, so communication between a Deaf person and a health professional may rely on a mediator, usually a family member or an interpreter, to provide communication assistance. Aim This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of healthcare workers (HCWs) at King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC) toward Deaf adult patients. Subjects and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs at KSUMC, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to the HCWs using an online survey. The questionnaire includes socio-demographic data (i.e., age, gender, marital status, etc.), previous interaction with Deaf patients, and KAP items. Results Of the 351 HCWs, 63.8% were females, and 41.6% were aged between 28 and 37 years old. The overall mean knowledge score was 1.14 out of 7 points. The overall mean attitude score was 46.2 out of 90 points, and the mean practice score was 19.1 out of 35 points. Significant factors of increased attitude include being a non-Saudi, being married, having children, increasing years of working experience, and being a nurse, while being a male, having previous interaction with a Deaf patient, and having skills in any type of sign language were the significant predictors of increased practice. Working in the surgery department was the only predictor associated with increased knowledge. Conclusion There was a significant deficiency, particularly with regard to knowledge and attitude toward Deaf patients. Increasing knowledge was associated with increasing practices but not with attitude. HCWs who had previous interactions with Deaf patients and had knowledge of any sign language tended to demonstrate better practice in dealing with Deaf patients. Further, longitudinal studies are needed to determine the level of KAP among HCWs in our region.