Health Care Delivery for Deaf Patients: The Provider's Role

Deafness can and often does present obstacles to the delivery of quality health care. These obstacles are not insurmountable. Overcoming them, however, does require that the health care system and the practitioners in the system make some adaptations and acquire additional information about deafness. This article will look at some of the barriers which impede health care delivery for deaf persons and will offer suggestions for physicians and other medical personnel to use in reducing these barriers.