An initial investigation of improving acute care for hearing-impaired patients through the use of a transparent surgical mask
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/cam.20514Keywords:
transparent mask, communication, acute care, hearing-impaired patientsAbstract
There is a general assumption that, in the hospital setting, standard surgical masks, unlike transparent masks, prevent effective communication with the hearing-impaired. This study investigates the experience of healthcare professionals (HPs) and hearing-impaired patients using a transparent surgical mask vs. a standard surgical mask in an acute care hospital. Our study design used a cross sectional, mixed-methods survey of 25 adult hearing-impaired patients/visitors and 36 HPs caring for them while wearing a transparent mask. The results demonstrated that 89% of staff and 76% of patients said the mask improved communication. This improvement was due to better ability to interpret nonverbal cues, which led to less need for repetition or volume increase. It was found that 69% of staff said the mask was comfortable and 81% were satisfied; 64% of patients liked being able to see facial expressions of the person wearing the mask; 72% of patients felt more connected to, and 76% understood the speech of, the person using the mask; and 80% of patients and 78% of staff preferred the transparent mask. The findings suggest that hospital staff/providers should use a mask with a clear window around the mouth and face while caring for hearing-impaired patients. This may improve patient satisfaction and prevent errors that are due to miscommunication.
References
Atcherson, Samuel, Lisa Lucks Mendel, Wesley J. Baltimore, Chhayakanta Patro, Sungmin Lee, Mounique Pousson and M. Joshua Spann (2017) The effect of conventional and transparent surgical masks on speech understanding in individuals with and without hearing loss. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology 28 (1): 58–67. https://doi.org/10.3766/jaaa.15151
Benbenishty, Julie and Jordan R. Hannink (2015) Non-verbal communication to restore patient-provider trust. Intensive Care Medicine 41 (7): 1359–1360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-015- 3710-8
Blackwell, Debra, Jacqueline W. Lucas and Tainya C. Clarke (2014) Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2012. Vital and Health Statistics, Series 10, Number 260. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
Dalonges, Debra and Jacquelyn L. Fried (2016) Creating immediacy using verbal and nonverbal methods. American Dental Hygienists’ Association 90 (4): 221–225.
DiMatteo, M. Robin, Ron D. Hays and Louise M. Prince (1986) Relationship of physicians’ nonverbal communication skill to patient satisfaction, appointment noncompliance, and physician workload. Health Psychology 5 (6): 581–594. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.5.6.581
Henn, Patrick, Colm O’Tuathaigh, Darelle Keegan and Simon Smith (2017) Hearing impairment and the amelioration of avoidable medical error: A cross-sectional survey. Journal of Patient Safety 10 (3): e115-e160. https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000000298
Hillen, Marij, Hanneke C. J. M. de Haes, Geertjan van Tienhoven, Nina Bijker, Hanneke W. M. van Laarhoven, Daniëlle M. Vermeulen and Ellen M. A. Smets (2015) All eyes on the patient: The influence of oncologists’ nonverbal communication on breast cancer patients’ trust. Journal of Hematology & Oncology 153 (1): 161–171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-015-3486-0
Hines, John (2000) Communication problems of hearing-impaired patients. Nursing Standard 14 (19): 33–37. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns2000.01.14.19.33.c2752
Hurtig, Richard, Rebecca M. Alper, Karen N. T. Bryant, Krista R. Davidson and Chelsea Bilskemper (2019) Improving patient safety and patient-provider communication. Perspectives of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Special Interest Group 4 (5): 1017–1027. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_PERS-SIG12-2019-0021
Kawase, Tetsuaki, Keiichiro Yamaguchi, Takenori Ogawa, Ken-ichi Suzuki, Maki Suzuki, Masatoshi Itoh, Toshimitsu Kobayashi and Toshikatsu Fujii (2005) Recruitment of fusiform face area associated with listening to degraded speech sounds in auditory-visual speech perception: A PET study. Neuroscience Letters 382 (3): 254–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2005.03.050
Krollman-Portner, Kelly and Vanessa L. Burshnic (2021) Optimizing effective communication while wearing a mask during the COVID-19
Pandemic. Journal of Gerontological Nursing 46 (11). Online first. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20201012-02
Lezzoni, Lisa, Bonnie L. O’Day, Mary Killeen and Heather Harker (2004) Communicating about health care: Observations from persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Annals of Internal Medicine 140 (5): 356–362. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-140-5-200403020-00011
Marler, Hollyanna and Annabel Ditton (2020) ‘I’m smiling back at you’: Exploring the impact of mask wearing on communication in health-care. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders 56 (1): 205–214. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12578
Moreland, Christopher, Chad V. Ruffin, Megan A. Morris and Michael McKee (2020) Unmasked: How the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates disparities for people with communication-based disabilities. Perspectives in Hospital Medicine 16 (3): 185–188. https://doi.org/10.12788/jhm.3562
Rawool, Vishakha (2018) Denial by patients of hearing loss and their rejection of hearing health care: A review. Journal of Hearing Science 8 (3): 9–23. https://doi.org/10.17430/906204
Seale, Holly, Jun-Sup Leem, Julie Gallard, Rajneesh Kaur, Abrar Ahmad Chughtai, Mohamed Tashani and Raina MacIntyre (2014) ‘The cookie monster muffler’: Perceptions and behaviours of hospital healthcare workers around the use of masks and respirators in the hospital setting. International journal of Infection Control 11 (1).
Published
Issue
Section
License
copyright Equinox Publishing Ltd.
