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http://www.nursinginpractice.com/default.asp?title=Studyexamineshealthcarefordeaf&page=article.display&article.id=6292
Deaf people are being invited to take part in the first UK survey to identify their general state of health and their access to medical care.
SignHealth, the national society for mental health and deafness, has commissioned a study similar to research carried out in Austria, which found there are higher incidents of diabetes, asthma and hypertension among deaf people.
The charity hopes to discover whether people with hearing difficulties are prone to these conditions, or whether a lack of information about illnesses means they are not getting adequate treatment.
A report published by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People in 2004 found that 35% of deaf and hard-of-hearing people were unclear about their condition because of communication problems with their GP or nurse and 28% found it difficult to contact their local surgery.
And a third of British Sign Language users were found to be either unsure of how much medication to use, or had taken too much or too little because of communication difficulties.
Steve Powell, chief executive of SignHealth, said: "There are many sad and unnecessary stories of deaf people receiving poor or delayed treatment for illnesses such as cancer or heart disease - or simply not receiving or understanding information about conditions such as pregnancy, diabetes or HIV/Aids.
"This research will help identify the healthcare priorities for deaf people and pinpoint where action is needed most urgently."
Deaf people are being invited to take part in the first UK survey to identify their general state of health and their access to medical care.
SignHealth, the national society for mental health and deafness, has commissioned a study similar to research carried out in Austria, which found there are higher incidents of diabetes, asthma and hypertension among deaf people.
The charity hopes to discover whether people with hearing difficulties are prone to these conditions, or whether a lack of information about illnesses means they are not getting adequate treatment.
A report published by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People in 2004 found that 35% of deaf and hard-of-hearing people were unclear about their condition because of communication problems with their GP or nurse and 28% found it difficult to contact their local surgery.
And a third of British Sign Language users were found to be either unsure of how much medication to use, or had taken too much or too little because of communication difficulties.
Steve Powell, chief executive of SignHealth, said: "There are many sad and unnecessary stories of deaf people receiving poor or delayed treatment for illnesses such as cancer or heart disease - or simply not receiving or understanding information about conditions such as pregnancy, diabetes or HIV/Aids.
"This research will help identify the healthcare priorities for deaf people and pinpoint where action is needed most urgently."