Opening Doors – Sign Language Interpreters: Essential to Patient Quality Care

Marilyn Svenson, who is deaf, spent three lengthy stays at the Whiting Healthcare Center for physical therapy treatment, following surgery at Community Medical Center in Whiting. Despite numerous verbal and written requests, Marilyn was not provided with an interpreter on most occasions, depriving her of the ability to fully communicate with her healthcare providers. The frustration, anguish and pure terror of receiving treatment without understanding much of what went on around her drove Marilyn to sue Whiting Healthcare.
As a result of her successful suit, that center was ordered to institute protocols that ensure reasonable accommodations be provided to future deaf residents under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Although these laws already require medical facilities to ensure effective communication with individuals who are deaf, according to David Alexander, who heads the New Jersey Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, “Many [of these] people continue to experience situations where accommodations are not made available by their healthcare provider.”
For individuals with a hearing loss which prevents them from fully understanding speech, a visual form of communication is necessary. Sign language interpreting is considered one of the most effective methods of communication between people who can hear and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. But simply knowing some sign language does not qualify a person as an interpreter. Interpreting is a highly specialized field requiring extensive training not only in the process of interpreting, but also in Deaf Culture, Registry of Interpreter for the Deaf Code of Ethics, and fluency in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English.
There are still many medical facilities and healthcare providers that find excuses not to provide sign language interpreters for their deaf patients. Some medical staff may feel that written communication and/or lip reading are sufficient. But writing is cumbersome, limited in detail and content, and takes five to six times longer than communicating through a sign language interpreter. As for lip reading, it is full of risk. Even the most skilled lip reader is thought to recognize only 30 percent of a message. Both these means can result in misunderstanding and negative consequences for the patient’s health.
Whiting Healthcare Center tried to use Marilyn Svenson’s daughter to facilitate communication during her mother’s stay in their facility. While using a family member may be convenient for the healthcare provider, from a patient’s standpoint it is not advisable for several reasons. The relative’s language skills may not, for example, be adequate for communicating medical information. Emotional issues, too, may affect a family member’s objectivity and prevent accurate communication. Also to be considered is the possibility that using a relative to interpret may compromise the patient’s right to confidentiality.
The size of the professional facility or office of a healthcare provider has no bearing on the obligation to provide interpreter services, at no charge, for a deaf or hard of hearing person. Title III of the ADA, which prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodation, applies to doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists, dentists, hospitals, nursing homes and health clinics, and all other providers of physical and mental health care, regardless of the size of the facility/office or the number of employees.
If you or a family member anticipates needing an interpreter in a healthcare setting, be proactive. The NJ Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing maintains on its website a list of state-certified sign language interpreters, some of whom have specialized expertise in medicine. Consult this list for certified individuals in our area. As the Joint Commission’s 2010 Road Map for Hospitals clearly states: “No longer considered simply a patient’s right, effective communication is now accepted as an essential component of quality care and patient safety.”
Did You Know?
• A Support Group for Hard of Hearing Adults is held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Ocean City Library (1735 Simpson Avenue and 18th Avenue in Ocean City). For more information contact Paulann at the CMC Office of Disability Services (465-4117 ext. 28 or paulann@capeworkshop.com)
• The Lighthouse Church of Cape May Court House, which provides sign language interpreters every Sunday at the 10:45 am service, is offering a 13-week Bible Study for the deaf and hard of hearing, taught in American Sign Language. The Study will meet every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the church building (1248 Route 9 South). All are welcome to participate for any or all of the 13 weeks. For more information, contact the church by phone at 465-6690 or by email at tlccma@comcast.net
• The Ocean City High School American Sign Language Performers are presenting a performance, “Signing for Haiti,” at 7:00 pm on Friday, June 3, 2011 at the OCHS Auditorium (501 Atlantic Avenue, Ocean City). Proceeds from the event (tickets are $9) go to support the OCHS American Sign Language Program and the Institute Montfort School for the Deaf in Haiti
• Children ages 4 to 12 who are deaf/hard-of-hearing (or are children of deaf adults, or whose siblings are deaf/hard-of-hearing) are invited to Happy Hands Camp 2011. The camp will be located at Gloucester County Institute of Technology in Sewell, NJ. Camp is in session July 11 to August 11 on Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. The cost is $138 per week or $653 for those who pay for all 5 weeks in advance. For more information, contact Mary Hilley (856-415-7530 ext. 6468 or mhilley@gcsssd.org)
• Saturday, June 11, 2011 is Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness Day at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. American Sign Language Interpreters will be located throughout the park on that day. For ticket information contact Lauren at GATickets@aol.com
Pierson is the Coordinator of the Cape May County Office of Disability Services