BACKGROUND: Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users face communication and language barriers that limit healthcare communication with their providers. Prior research has not examined preventive services with ASL-skilled clinicians. PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to determine whether provider language concordance is associated with improved receipt of preventive services among deaf respondents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 89 deaf respondents aged 50-75 years from the Deaf Health Survey (2008), a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey adapted for use with deaf ASL users. Association between the respondent's communication method with the provider (i.e., categorized as either concordant-doctor signs or discordant-other) and preventive services use was assessed using logistic regression adjusting for race, gender, income, health status, health insurance, and education. Analyses were conducted in 2010. RESULTS: Deaf respondents who reported having a concordant provider were more likely to report a greater number of preventive services (OR=3.42, 95% CI=1.31, 8.93, p=0.0122) when compared to deaf respondents who reported having a discordant provider even after adjusting for race, gender, income, health status, health insurance, and education. In unadjusted analyses, deaf respondents who reported having a concordant provider were more likely to receive an influenza vaccination in the past year (OR=4.55, p=0.016) when compared to respondents who had a discordant provider. CONCLUSIONS: Language-concordant patient-provider communication is associated with higher appropriate use of preventive services by deaf ASL users.
BACKGROUND: Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users face communication and language barriers that limit healthcare communication with their providers. Prior research has not examined preventive services with ASL-skilled clinicians. PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to determine whether provider language concordance is associated with improved receipt of preventive services among deaf respondents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 89 deaf respondents aged 50-75 years from the Deaf Health Survey (2008), a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey adapted for use with deaf ASL users. Association between the respondent's communication method with the provider (i.e., categorized as either concordant-doctor signs or discordant-other) and preventive services use was assessed using logistic regression adjusting for race, gender, income, health status, health insurance, and education. Analyses were conducted in 2010. RESULTS: Deaf respondents who reported having a concordant provider were more likely to report a greater number of preventive services (OR=3.42, 95% CI=1.31, 8.93, p=0.0122) when compared to deaf respondents who reported having a discordant provider even after adjusting for race, gender, income, health status, health insurance, and education. In unadjusted analyses, deaf respondents who reported having a concordant provider were more likely to receive an influenza vaccination in the past year (OR=4.55, p=0.016) when compared to respondents who had a discordant provider. CONCLUSIONS: Language-concordant patient-provider communication is associated with higher appropriate use of preventive services by deaf ASL users.
Authors: Michael M McKee; Michael K Paasche-Orlow; Paul C Winters; Kevin Fiscella; Philip Zazove; Ananda Sen; Thomas Pearson Journal: J Health Commun Date: 2015
Authors: Poorna Kushalnagar; Joan Naturale; Raylene Paludneviciene; Scott R Smith; Emily Werfel; Richard Doolittle; Stephen Jacobs; James DeCaro Journal: Health Commun Date: 2014-06-05
Authors: Michael McKee; Denise Thew; Matthew Starr; Poorna Kushalnagar; John T Reid; Patrick Graybill; Julia Velasquez; Thomas Pearson Journal: Prog Community Health Partnersh Date: 2012