There is a strong chance that the deaf and hard of hearing will not be able to fully process medical information because of the failure or worse functioning of the auditory sense. That is the opinion of Anika Smeijers, researcher and pediatrician.
According to Smeijers, the deaf and hard of hearing more often experience physical health problems such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and high blood pressure. This is partly caused by poor communication with the doctor. “The research also shows that hearing impaired people more often indicate that they have poorer psychological health and that they are more likely to suffer from burnout, for example,” says Smeijers. This is not the case with the deaf. The pediatrician has an idea how to do that. “The moment the research started, so a few years ago, there was a very extensive and unique network of psychological help for the deaf in the Netherlands,” she says. “Its effectiveness has never been studied, but it is quite possible that the deaf have fewer psychological problems because of the help they received at the time.”
The research
There are 1.5 million deaf and hard of hearing people living in the Netherlands. A diverse group according to Smeijers. People who become deaf or hard of hearing at a later age make up the largest part of the group. 1 in 1000 people is born deaf, and 1 in 1000 people become deaf by childhood.
274 people took part in the study: 88 deaf and 186 hard of hearing. They were asked to complete several questionnaires, including a question about their quality of life. According to Smeijers, there is currently too little patient information available in sign language. According to the researcher and pediatrician, this must change. “I think we need an independent center of expertise that provides accessible information to the deaf and hard of hearing. That would be easy, because they are not expensive solutions. It’s not genetic research that would cost you millions.”
Lack of attention
There is currently no funding available to realize a change due to a lack of attention for Smeijers’ story. In contrast to the deaf and hard of hearing, specialist help is available for children with Down syndrome.
Source: NOS
