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Communication Barriers and Health Literacy Gaps Undermine Equitable Healthcare for Deaf Sign Language Users: A
Patiparn Srisirirat1, Supak Sanguansap2, Natwasa Samchusin3
1Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Samut Prakan, Thailand.
Summary
Deaf students in Thailand face significant healthcare barriers due to communication gaps and inaccessible information. Systemic changes are needed to create an inclusive healthcare system for Deaf sign language users.
Area of Science:
- Health Equity
- Qualitative Health Research
- Sociology of Health
Background:
- Persistent barriers to equitable healthcare access exist for Deaf sign language users globally.
- Limited evidence is available from non-Western and lower-income contexts regarding these barriers.
- Understanding the intersection of communication, health literacy, and system design is crucial for Deaf healthcare access.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experiences of Deaf undergraduate students in Thailand.
- To examine how communication barriers, health literacy gaps, and healthcare system design impact equitable care access.
- To identify structural determinants of health inequity within the Thai healthcare system for Deaf individuals.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing semi-structured, in-depth interviews with ten Deaf undergraduate students (aged 18-22).
- Interviews conducted in Thai Sign Language (TSL) with dual professional interpreters.
- Data analyzed using Braun and Clarke's inductive thematic analysis.
Main Results:
- Four key themes emerged: pervasive communication barriers, inaccessible hearing-centered health information, the need for a Deaf-inclusive system, and the impact of family environment on health literacy.
- Systemic communication gaps directly influence healthcare quality and patient empowerment.
- Growing up in hearing families significantly impacts health literacy development.
Conclusions:
- Communication barriers and health literacy gaps are structural issues within hearing-centered healthcare systems requiring systemic solutions.
- Thai Sign Language (TSL) must be integrated as a core component of public health communication.
- Institutional infrastructure and policy mandates are essential to support equitable healthcare for Deaf communities.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
The barriers to effective communication also include cultural barriers, semantic barriers, gender barriers, and time constraints.
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
01:21Health Literacy
Health literacy is an individual's or a community's capacity to comprehend, receive, read, and use relevant healthcare information and services. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2018) defines health literacy as the cognitive and social skills that determine the ability of individuals to gain access to, understand, and use information in ways that promote and maintain good health. As a result, the WHO helps individuals manage long-term health concerns, participate in preventative programs,...
01:30Barriers to Effective Communication I
A communication barrier is any distortion or interruption during a conversation, resulting in miscommunication of the message. A good communicator should know these barriers and continuously check for the listener's understanding by obtaining feedback.
Communication barriers include the following:
Physiological barriers: They are limitations caused by a person's health condition or disability, such as hearing loss, poor eyesight, illness, or unconsciousness. An example to overcome this barrier...
Communication barriers include the following:
Physiological barriers: They are limitations caused by a person's health condition or disability, such as hearing loss, poor eyesight, illness, or unconsciousness. An example to overcome this barrier...
01:30Therapeutic Communication
Communication is a lifelong learning process. Through therapeutic communication, nurses can collect relevant assessment data, provide education and counseling, and interact during nursing interventions. Sending and receiving messages occur through verbal and nonverbal communication techniques and can happen separately or simultaneously.
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...
01:25Role of Communication in the Nursing Process I: Assessment and Diagnosis
The nursing process uses scientific reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking to guide nurses in providing patients with appropriate care. This process is a systematic approach to recognize, avoid, and treat current or potential health issues while promoting the patient's well-being.
The nursing process considers the patient's emotional and physical well-being. The process can be repeated or stopped at any point if judged essential. Assessment is the first step in the nursing process.
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01:28Communication
Sharing information, concepts, and emotions to foster mutual understanding is communication. The sender, recipient, and transaction must be considered in this manner. The sender is the person who shares the message, the recipient is the person who receives and understands the message, and the transaction is the method used to deliver the message and the variables that affect the communication's context and surroundings. The nurse-client connection is built on therapeutic communication.
Within...
Within...