[Communication with deaf patients in primary care: A scoping review]

The objective of the study is to provide a comprehensive description and analysis of the current state of research on communication between general practitioners and deaf patients, with particular reference to the utilisation of sign language and to identify research gaps in the field of communication with deaf patients in general practice.The study was designed as a scoping review in accordance with the methodological standards established by Arksey and O'Malley (2005). A search was conducted across the CINAHL, PubMed and Web of Science databases. The study incorporated research conducted on the provision of general practice care to deaf patients who use sign language. The data extraction process was conducted on 12 April 2022, with a subsequent follow-up search conducted on 27 February 2024. The publications were assessed in a blinded manner.Following the exclusion of duplicates, a total of 2,060 publications were subjected to review, and the full texts of 86 search results were subsequently examined. The review incorporated a total of seven studies, of which four employed quantitative survey methodologies and targeted physicians (2), deaf patients (1), or both physicians and deaf patients (1). Two qualitative studies were conducted, one focusing on deaf people and the other on sign language interpreters. One study utilised a mixed-methods approach and focused on deaf patients. In total, 316 deaf patients, 355 doctors, and 19 sign language interpreters were surveyed. Five topics were identified for further investigation: communication problems as perceived by deaf patients, communication from the perspective of general practitioners, strategies for improving communication, the use of sign language interpreters, and the consequences of communication barriers. The extant literature suggests a paucity of knowledge among general practitioners in dealing with their deaf patients. Strategies for overcoming communication problems are considered inadequate; sign language interpreters are rarely used in general practice.Communication between general practitioners and deaf patients is considered inadequate because communication aids are either unavailable or unsuitable and untrained lay interpreters are used. There is an absence of reliable statistics concerning the utilisation of qualified sign language interpreters in general practice within the German healthcare system. This gap should prompt further research efforts.