Communication Problems Contribute to Hospital Complications

Patients with communication problems are at risk of complications resulting from their hospital stay, because they may not hear, understand, or communicate clearly, a Canadian study shows.

Researchers in Quebec reviewed 2,355 charts of adult patients at 20 randomly selected area hospitals.

They found evidence to suggest that patients with communication problems such as deafness or hearing impairment, blindness, inability to speak, and psychiatric disorders – were three times more susceptible to preventable adverse events, than patients without such challenges. The adverse events in a hospital setting are defined as an unintended injury or complication caused by the delivery of clinical care rather than by the patient’s underlying condition."

Complications resulting from medical care received at a hospital, the study shows, occurred more frequently in patients over age 65 and were caused by the medication, inappropriate or delayed treatment, or failure to monitor a patient’s condition.

There are several ways patients with hearing disorders should protect themselves in a hospital:

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), mandates all hospitals to provide effective means of communication, including interpreters, to any patient who requires such services.
  
  
• Inform hospital staff you are hearing impaired and to note this in your chart. Request they ensure you have your hearing aids inserted prior to speaking with you.
  
  
• Hearing aids should not be removed for the fear of being lost, so that hearing impaired patients can express themselves clearly and understand what is being said to them.