[An investigation of the experiences of hearing-impaired people undergoing medical examinations in health-checkups].
OBJECTIVE
The end purpose of this research is to ascertain modifications that are needed in order to provide an environment in which hearing-impaired people can receive health-checkups equivalent to those received by people with normal hearing. The problems experienced by hearing-impaired person when undergoing a health consultation was thus investigated and differences in the requirements of deaf people and those with impaired hearing were also examined.


METHODS
Questionnaires were completed by 250 members of the Tokyo Federation of the Deaf and 100 members of the Tokyo Association for the Hard of Hard of Hearing. Areas investigated included, the person's history of health-checkups, aspects of medical examinations found to be inconvenient, communication that occurred during medical examinations, communication that a hearing-impaired person experts of a hospital, and methods by which hospitals could ensure information was understood. Responses to questionnaires were compared between the members of Tokyo Federation of the Deaf and the members of Tokyo Association for the Hard of Hearing.


RESULTS
Of 151 subjects enrolled in the present study, 56 were male and 96 were female (2 did not reveal their gender). Respondents were aged between 21-85 years (mean 54.8 years), with 50.3% receiving an annual health-checkup. The problems described by respondents in the context of a medical examination included; 1) not being able to recognize when their turn to be seen had arrived, even if called by name, 2) not being able to understand medical information and instructions given by healthcare staff. In order to ensure they understood the information given, respondents described measures that they wished to see implemented. These differed between the 2 organizations, with members of the Tokyo Federation of the Deaf wanting information to be provided in both sign language and written form, whereas members of the Tokyo Association for the Hard of Hearing wished only for written information.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared to people with normal hearing, relatively few hearing-impaired people receive health checkups. In order to ensure that hearing-impaired people can understand the information given, and therefore receive maximal health benefits, while reducing the risk of potentially harmful mishearing of advice, both sign language and written information are required.
Eiko
E
Takahashi
Toshio
T
Nakadate
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities; D010808:Physical Examination; D012813:Sign Language; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires