The relationship between the use of sign language interpreters and effectiveness of communication in a medical encounter

• Main Author: Brener, Toby H
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-1990
• Subjects: Health education; Public health
• ISBN: 9798207270180

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the use of sign language interpreters and the effectiveness of communication in a medical encounter between a Deaf person and hearing physician. Fifty-three Deaf adults participated in this study by completing a vision screening and interview during which time a Demographic/Background Questionnaire and Effectiveness of Communication Index were administered. Using a post-test only experimental design, Experimental subjects communicated with the optometrists via a trained sign language interpreter while Control subjects used written notes, speech and lipreading. The Effectiveness of Communication Index measured three dimensions: (1) Information Exchange; (2) Affective Communication; and (3) Linguistic Accessibility. The use of sign language interpreters had a statistically significant effect only on the dimension Linguistic Accessibility (p =.007). Affective Communication and overall Effectiveness of Communication approached statistical significance (p =.08 and.07 respectively). Multivariate analyses were undertaken to clarify the relationship between the use of sign language interpreters and effectiveness of communication and determine which control variables may have been obscuring a significant relationship between the dependent and independent variables or producing a spurious relationship. In addition, analyses of data from the Demographic/Background Questionnaire revealed which subject characteristics were significantly associated with subjects' preferred method of communication and attitudes toward and preference for interpreters. Finally, exploratory data were gathered from the four optometrists participating in this study through a brief questionnaire in order to identify problems they had communicating with the subjects and to assess their needs as health care providers when interacting with a Deaf patient. Implications and recommendations for health policy and action, clinical practice, health education, and research are presented.