Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Question: Our new practice just gained our first deaf patient. Though the practice is compliant with the accessibility standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), what can we do to help this patient have the best possible experience?

New York Subscriber

Answer: Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals’ biggest barriers in healthcare revolve around communication. As you may already know, providers are required to accommodate the auxiliary services the patient needs. However, each patient’s needs are different. For some, that might mean an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, for others that might require interpreters who use Signed English, a form of signing which uses the same word order as English. One thing you need to do is gather all such patient requests enough in advance to allow you as much time as you need to provide such services.

Mostly, you need to simply make sure your accommodations are not only compliant and helpful but also sensitive to individual dignity. Take a look at this guidance from the National Association of the Deaf when updating your accommodations for deaf patients:

• What policies have been established to accommodate patients and offer access to care — and do all staff understand the procedures?
• How do you identify deaf or hard-of-hearing patients to ensure assistance and aid while avoiding discrimination and protecting privacy?
• Are visual aids available for both clinical and adminis­trative questions?
• Do any providers know ASL, or are there any staff with a basic knowledge?
• Are language interpreters properly trained and certified by an accrediting body?
• Do all staff know the existing laws and the consequences for failure to help individuals with language interpretation requests?

Take a look at the full explanation of the requirements established by the ADA (www.ada.gov/resources/effective-communication/) and the National Association of the Deaf (www.nad.org/resources/civil-rights-laws/americans-with-disabilities-act/public-accommodations/).