Overcoming Additional Barriers to Care for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patients During COVID-19

Recent articles outline increased communication barriers between providers and deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) patients during the pandemic. Although very necessary, some COVID-19 restrictions like social distancing may hinder accessible communication for DHH clients. This peer reviewed article provides six feasible strategies that can be used to ensure effective and accessible communication between DHH clients and providers during the pandemic. Some steps that are already in use include using clear face masks that are FDA approved or using communication boards.