A Study on the Medical Care Utilization and the Health Information in Deafs

농아인의 의료기관 이용과 보건 및 의료정보 요구 조사

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to identify the actual conditions and needs of the health care utilization and health information in deafs. Methods: Forty-one deaf volunteers were interviewed by suwha nursing students. The semi-structured interviews were conducted in sign language at homes and community centers. The instrument developed by researchers consisted of 22 items including demographic information, health care utilization, and open-ended questions. Data were analyzed using content analysis, frequency and percentage. Results: The most discomfort problems were communication difficulty and expression of symptom. The deaf people wanted to learn about diseases and symptoms. The deaf wanted to get information about cancer. Conclusions: Further studies focusing on educational intervention are needed to increase the knowledge level on disease of deaf. The sign language translators are needed to help communication for deaf in health care facilities.