RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Assessing Deaf patients in the neurology clinic
JF Practical Neurology
JO Pract Neurol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 132
OP 138
DO 10.1136/practneurol-2019-002422
VO 20
IS 2
A1 Matthew J Harris
A1 Joanna R Atkinson
A1 Katy Judd
A1 Maureen Bergson
A1 Catherine J Mummery
YR 2020
UL http://pn.bmj.com/content/20/2/132.abstract
AB There are over 87 000 Deaf people in the UK with British Sign Language (BSL) as their first language.1 Few healthcare professionals receive training in Deaf awareness or in BSL, and missed diagnoses and inadequate treatment of Deaf patients are estimated to cost the National Health Service £30 million per year.2 Neurologists are likely to encounter Deaf BSL users in their practice, but without prior experience may find consultations challenging, especially within the time constraints and pressure of a standard clinic. In this article, we provide guidance on consulting with Deaf people in a neurology clinic, drawing on experience from our cognitive clinic for Deaf BSL users where effective communication is essential.