Kung Michael S, Lozano Andrea, Covas Vicente J, Rivera-González Lorena, Hernández-Blanco Yllen Y, Diaz-Algorri Yaritza, Chinapen Sandra
San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Puerto Rico.
Associate Dean of the MPH Program, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Puerto Rico.
J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2021 Feb 4;8:2382120521992326. doi: 10.1177/2382120521992326. eCollection 2021 Jan-Dec.
Effective communication between health care professionals and Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D&HH) patients remains a challenge. Literature regarding health professionals' knowledge of the D&HH community and their barriers toward health care access is limited in Puerto Rico and suggests a need for research. Therefore, this descriptive study aims to evaluate future physician's knowledge about the Deaf culture and community in a student cohort at San Juan Bautista School of Medicine (SJBSM), with the objective of guiding our results toward improving our curriculum.
Medical students answered a survey to evaluate their knowledge of D&HH patients. The survey consisted of 3 parts testing awareness, exposure, and knowledge of the Deaf community. Responses from the Knowledge section were graded using an answer key, and correct answers were added to create an overall continuous sum score per participant, with higher scores meaning higher knowledge. Participants were also asked to write in possible issues deaf patients may face when hospitalized, apart from communication problems. All data were recorded and used for descriptive analysis.
158 (68%) medical students participated. 63% reported exposure to D&HH people, and 80% were aware of the Deaf culture. 21% of students answered to have attended an American Sign Language (ASL) class, and 86% expressed interest in taking an ASL class. The overall percentage of correct answers from all the medical groups evaluated was 39%, with increasing percent knowledge as medical student year increased. The most frequently listed problem by respondents that deaf patients may face when hospitalized was dealing with an emergency in the hospital, such as the fire alarm.
Students from clinical years (MSIII & MSIV) showed a better understanding of the Deaf culture than students in pre-clinical years (MSI & MSII). Nevertheless, the knowledge was limited in all groups. The information generated is not only valuable for our school but the healthcare community as well. The literature related to Deaf culture, particularly in the medical setting in Puerto Rico, is limited. Therefore, there exists a need to continue investigating ways to improve medical students' education of the Deaf culture and community.
医疗保健专业人员与失聪及听力障碍（D&HH）患者之间的有效沟通仍然是一项挑战。在波多黎各，关于医疗保健专业人员对失聪及听力障碍群体的了解以及他们在获得医疗保健方面所面临障碍的文献有限，这表明有必要进行研究。因此，这项描述性研究旨在评估圣胡安包蒂斯塔医学院（SJBSM）学生群体中未来医生对聋人文化和社区的了解，目的是根据研究结果改进我们的课程。
医学生回答了一项调查，以评估他们对失聪及听力障碍患者的了解。该调查由三个部分组成，分别测试对失聪及听力障碍群体的认知、接触情况和相关知识。知识部分的回答根据答案键进行评分，正确答案相加得出每位参与者的总体连续总分，分数越高表示知识水平越高。参与者还被要求写出聋人患者在住院时除沟通问题外可能面临的其他问题。所有数据都进行了记录并用于描述性分析。
158名（68%）医学生参与了调查。63%的学生报告曾接触过失聪及听力障碍人群，80%的学生了解聋人文化。21%的学生表示上过美国手语（ASL）课程，86%的学生表示有兴趣参加美国手语课程。所有评估的医学群体的正确答案总体百分比为39%，随着医学生年级的增加，知识百分比也在增加。受访者列出的聋人患者在住院时最常面临的问题是应对医院的紧急情况，如火灾警报。
临床年级（MSIII和MSIV）的学生比临床前年级（MSI和MSII）的学生对聋人文化有更好的理解。然而，所有群体的知识都很有限。所产生的信息不仅对我们学校有价值，对医疗保健界也有价值。与聋人文化相关的文献，特别是在波多黎各的医疗环境中，非常有限。因此，有必要继续研究如何改进医学生对聋人文化和社区的教育。
