Communication between healthcare workers and deaf patients in times of COVID-19

Cause Communication between healthcare workers and deaf patients is extra difficult in times of COVID-19. Interpreters are often not allowed to come along and the healthcare staff wear face masks, which means that lip reading is not possible. This makes proper diagnosis, treatment, explanation and obtaining informed consent virtually impossible. Within the project, research was conducted into the experiences and communication needs of deaf people patients during the pandemic. Results This shows that many people are afraid of Corona and access to care during the Corona pandemic. Due to the use of face masks, they cannot understand the healthcare workers, the use of interpreters is more limited and their experience is that healthcare workers do not know how to communicate with them. The research shows a great appreciation for accessible information provision, such as subtitling or translation into NGT, but the quality of these facilities varies and needs to be better guaranteed. In addition, software has been developed that translates frequently asked questions and communications in COVID-19 related care into Dutch Sign Language (NGT). Translations in NGT are shown using videos in which a deaf person gestures and uses the translations an avatar. The video translations are of better quality, but the avatar offers more flexibility and will be particularly useful for other applications in the future