Healthcare attention and access for deaf individuals: a phenomenological study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15649/cuidarte.4665Keywords:
Persons with Hearing Impairments, Vulnerable Populations, Health Services Accessibility, Effective Access to Health Services, Barriers to Access of Health ServicesAbstract
Highlights
- Deaf individuals who use the Chilean health care system report difficulties throughout the entire care process, having to employ different methods to communicate.
- The health care of deaf individuals must be assisted via video calls by third parties—whether family members, acquaintances, or coworkers—who are required to act as interpreters.
- Ongoing environmental barriers have led users to experience a range of emotions, such as anger, sadness, and a sense of detriment and impunity.
- Participants express a feeling of uncertainty due to their dependence on others to navigate the health care context.
Introduction: In Chile, access to health care for deaf individuals faces communication and legal barriers. Objective: To reveal the experiences of deaf people from a southern province of Chile regarding their health care access between February 2022 and February 2023. Materials and Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted with deaf individuals who had accessed health services in the past year. Semi-structured personal interviews were conducted with the support of Chilean Sign Language interpreters. Results: Participants aged 24 to 30 reported communication difficulties with health personnel, exacerbated by the lack of interpreters or facilitators trained in sign language, forcing them to rely on third parties and technological aids. Discussion: The barriers identified in health care access align with existing literature; however, the limited number of studies on the Chilean context restricts local comparisons. Conclusions: The findings highlight access barriers and issues in health care delivery, impacting care quality. Key challenges include improving physical spaces, communication strategies, health literacy, training, and culturally competent care.
How to cite this article: Minte-Valderrama Daniel, Silva-Zurita Valentina, Alvarado-Salfate Camila, Villa-Velásquez Jenifer, Valencia-Contrera Miguel, Rivera-Rojas Flérida. Healthcare attention and access for deaf individuals: a phenomenological study. Revista Cuidarte. 2025;16(3):e4665. https://doi.org/10.15649/cuidarte.4665
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