The communication methods and issues faced by patients with hearing impairment during dental appointment

Abstract

Aim: To study the issues people with hearing impairment face during dental appointment and their satisfaction level Materials and Methods: A group of 32 participants with hearing impairment who visited “Mandakh Naran” voluntarily completed an organized questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of four different categories of questions, including general information, ways of communication, issues related to dental appointments, and satisfaction with dental care services. The questionnaire was administered in both sign language and written form. Chi-square and logistic regression tests were conducted using the STATA program, with a significant p-value of less than 0.05. Results: The mean age of the participants was 42±14 and 40.6% (n=13) of them were male. 78.3% (n=25) of the participants were able to communicate with sign language. When it comes to the ways to communicate with their dentist, 64.52% (n=20) of them communicated with text, 25.81% (n=8) with sign language, 25.81% (n=8) with people who are not interpreters, 16.13% (n=5) with interpreters, 12.9% (n=4) with picture, and 3.23% (n=1) with other methods. 80.64% (n=25) of the participants informed that they could not express their symptoms or needs. In terms of overall satisfaction with dental care service, 22.58% (n=7) of them were not satisfied at all, 16.13% (n=5) of them were not satisfied, and 48.39% (n=15) of them were in the middle. According to the participants, the overall satisfaction level was increased 7.42 times (CI:1.22-45.0, p=0.02) by understanding their dentists, 9.91 times (CI:1.74-56.03, p=0.006) by letting their dentists understand them, and 22.66 times (CI:3.13-163.62, p<0.001) by dentists’ attitude towards them. Conclusion: Individuals who have hearing impairment face communication difÏculties when receiving oral care from medical professionals. Although there are various methods of communication available, the overall satisfaction level is often poor due to the complexity of communication. There is a need for simpler methods of sign and written communication.