The topic of access to health care for the deaf is very important and is of great significance for improving the quality of life of this community. If we look at this issue in the context of different countries in Europe, we can see that there are similar challenges in other countries, but each country has a different approach. This article will look at the issues surrounding deaf people’s access to healthcare in Slovakia and Europe and explore what solutions could help to improve this problem.

The issue of access to health care for the deaf in Slovakia

Currently, the problem of access to health care for the deaf in the Slovak Republic is very acute. The Deaf community faces many difficulties in interacting with doctors and medical staff. Among the biggest problems are:

• Communication barriers

One of the biggest problems is the communication barrier that prevents deaf people from communicating effectively with health professionals. Many deaf patients face the problem of doctors and health professionals not being able to communicate adequately with them. Often sign language interpreters are not used who could ensure proper understanding between doctor and patient. If the patient does not know the written form of the language or has difficulty reading professional texts, further barriers to access to health care arise.

• Problems with specialist terms

Another problem is that deaf patients often have difficulty understanding the specialist terms used by doctors when explaining a diagnosis, treatment or prescribing medication. Without adequate interpreting assistance or written support, such as sign language translation or simpler texts, it is very difficult for Deaf people to understand medical information and they may misunderstand the treatment process, leading to deterioration of their health.

• Refusal to provide an interpreter

Some doctors refuse to provide an interpreter for deaf patients, which is a very serious problem. Deaf patients find themselves in a situation where they are not given adequate information and the opportunity to express their concerns or complaints. This can lead to misdiagnoses, errors in treatment and even misunderstandings when explaining medical conditions, with serious consequences.

• Complaints about health care

Another problem is that deaf people do not have sufficient opportunities to complain about incorrect treatment, inaccurate diagnoses or errors during operations. Because of communication barriers and lack of awareness of how to proceed with a complaint, many deaf patients do not have the opportunity to address problems that have arisen in the delivery of health care.

What about in Europe?

The issue of access to health care for the deaf is not unique to Slovakia. Similar problems occur in other European countries. However, different countries have different approaches to dealing with this situation.

• Sweden

Sweden is an example of a country that provides deaf people with very good access to healthcare. In this country, deaf patients are entitled to request a sign language interpreter at any medical appointment. Healthcare professionals are trained to communicate with deaf people and all healthcare facilities must provide an interpreter if the patient requests one. In addition, sign language translation services for medical documents are available in Sweden.

• United Kingdom

The UK has similar laws to ensure deaf people have access to health care. The National Health Service (NHS) offers interpreting services, which are available for various medical examinations and procedures. There is also a system that allows deaf patients to communicate with their doctors via text messages or video calls with a sign language interpreter.

• Germany

In Germany, access to healthcare for the deaf has been improving in recent years. Various initiatives are available within the health system to improve communication between deaf people and doctors, including online interpreting services and support for written consultations. In some regions of Germany, health care providers are obliged to provide interpreters for deaf patients.

• France

France, although it has several initiatives to improve access to health care for deaf people, still faces challenges in terms of systematic provision of interpreting services. Nevertheless, there are organisations working to improve access to information and health care for deaf people, and some healthcare facilities offer special training for health care professionals to improve their ability to communicate with deaf patients.

How can we solve these problems?

Improving access to healthcare for deaf people requires a number of concrete steps:

• Ensure the availability of sign language interpreters

It is essential that Slovak health care facilities provide sign language interpreters upon request for deaf patients. This would ensure that deaf patients would be able to fully understand medical information and express their concerns and requests.

• Training of health workers

Health professionals should be trained to communicate with deaf patients, which could include teaching basic sign language or ways to use written information effectively. This training should be mandatory to ensure equality of access to healthcare.

• Simplify written communication

Health care facilities should ensure that all health information, such as prescriptions for medications, diagnoses or referrals, is available in a simpler form that deaf patients can more easily understand. This may include translation into sign language or the use of a simpler form of language in written materials.

• Improve access to complaints

Creating a simple system to enable deaf patients to make complaints about incorrect treatment would help to improve the quality of health care and ensure fairness.

Conclusion

The issue of access to healthcare for deaf people is very similar across Europe, although different countries approach it in different ways. Slovakia still has a lot of work to do to ensure that deaf people have the same access to healthcare as the rest of the population. Providing interpreters, training health professionals and simplifying written materials are steps that can significantly improve the quality of life of deaf patients and provide them with better and more efficient health care.

Author: Juraj Holéczy