The consequences of inaccessible communication are significant. Unmet communication needs can make it harder for people to access health information and maintain their physical and mental health, and cause avoidance of follow-up or review appointments, emergency care, and help for new health concerns....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Audiologists should be aware that patients with unmet communication needs may avoid follow-up appointments and experience compounding health harms; proactive communication support at every touchpoint is warranted by this evidence.
Linking poor communication access directly to measurable health outcomes — appointment avoidance, physical and mental health deterioration — strengthens the clinical and ethical case for mandatory, well-resourced communication support in all NHS settings.
- 01Documents that inaccessible NHS communication leads to patients avoiding healthcare appointments.
- 02Physical health consequences from missed or inadequate care are evidenced.
- 03Mental health impacts, including anxiety and distress, are highlighted as consequences.
- 04Part of RNID's broader rapid evidence review; findings are drawn from existing literature.
- 05Demonstrates that communication barriers are a patient safety issue, not merely a convenience issue.
Inaccessible communication in NHS settings causes deaf and hearing-loss patients to avoid healthcare appointments.
studypartially supportedPoor communication access in NHS healthcare has measurable negative impacts on the physical health of deaf and hearing-loss patients.
studypartially supportedPoor communication access in NHS healthcare has measurable negative impacts on the mental health of deaf and hearing-loss patients.
studypartially supported