But have you ever wondered how this process may be for the deaf?

In 2016, a student-led project uncovered the deaf community’s reluctance to seek healthcare in Malaysia, citing issues such as:

• a scarcity of Malaysian Sign Language or Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia (BIM) interpreters;
• a shortage of linguistic competence in healthcare professionals; and
• a lack of legal protections for deaf people accessing health services.

Professor Uma Palanisamy from Monash University Malaysia felt compelled to act. Along with a team of dedicated individuals, she initiated the Healthcare Needs of the Deaf (HEARD) project, aimed at tackling the unmet health needs of around 55,000 registered deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the country.

Their rigorous research bore fruit on July 26, when Uma and her colleagues were honoured with the prestigious Nature Award for Inclusive Health Research at a ceremony in Brazil.

From over 100 applicants from 70 countries, this Malaysian team stood out as one of only five projects to receive the award. It recognises those who adopt an inclusive approach to health research, working towards a future where healthcare is equitable and accessible by all.

“Healthcare should leave no one behind, including the deaf,” Uma, 61, told FMT Lifestyle recently. “However, we found that there are significant barriers that impede this community from simply visiting a doctor at the clinic.”

For instance, there is only one BIM interpreter for every 800 deaf individuals, leading to significant communication barriers at hospitals.

In response, the team crafted the Deaf In Touch Everywhere (DITE) mobile application, which acts as a booking system connecting individuals with hearing loss to a pool of Malaysian sign interpreters, who can then virtually accompany them during hospital visits.

The scope of the app, which plays a part in their Nature Award recognition, extends beyond bookings: it also includes a medical sign-language dictionary, and a collection of health-promotion videos translated into sign language.

“We’ve received positive feedback not only from the deaf community but also from interpreters and healthcare professionals who have used the app,” Uma shared.

She also pointed out that healthcare practitioners often lack an understanding of deaf culture and how to interact with such patients.

As such, their second proposal, which also led to the award, involved the HEARD team pioneering a module for medical students and young practitioners, enhancing their capacity to engage with deaf patients.

“In just three months, we’ve taught these individuals simple signs. Seeing the success of the programme, we’re now looking to expand this to a wider audience,” Uma said.

The HEARD project’s global achievement further stems from their unique research approach, which incorporates the experiences of individuals with hearing loss.

Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, Jennifer Ng, HEARD project researcher, recalled an astonishing encounter at a hearing clinic.

“I was there to get my cochlear implant, and I had been waiting for a very long time. I kept looking up at the screen but my number never flashed. After almost three hours, I asked the front desk about this, and they said, ‘We already paged for you.’

“Imagine this: they verbally called my name, in a hearing clinic,” the 59-year-old said.

Upon questioning their lack of sensitivity, she was told they had expected someone capable of assisting her to have been present. But, as Ng revealed, bringing an interpreter along can be even more frustrating.

“The doctor faces the interpreter and talks to them instead, like I’m invisible. I ask myself, ‘Why am I excluded? Am I the patient or is my interpreter the patient?'”

Echoing the sentiment of many in the deaf community, Ng concluded: “It’s very frustrating, and truthfully, I’d rather avoid visiting the doctor unless absolutely essential.”

Another key figure of the HEARD project team is Anthony Chong, Malaysia’s first deaf PhD holder. As the secretary of the Malaysian Sign Language and Deaf Studies Association (MyBIM), the 41-year-old is dedicated to bringing about change for the deaf community.

Communicating via sign language, he shared: “Imagine if there’s an emergency – we can’t just make a phone call to the hospital. It’s a communication problem at its core.

“Even when we manage to visit the hospital with an interpreter, there’s still a chance of things getting lost in translation, which could potentially result in misdiagnosis.”

In fact, Uma highlighted that the BIM vocabulary falls short of covering all required signs for medical terminology, leading the deaf to have to spell out words.

“We’ve now partnered with MyBIM to create a medical sign bank to streamline communication between practitioners and the deaf regarding health concerns,” she revealed.

“I see this project as a stepping stone: healthcare is just one of many areas that the deaf need better access to,” Ng added.

While thrilled about the international recognition, their main objective remains for authoritative action to be taken to help the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

“My hope is for the government to guarantee a BIM interpreter for every deaf patient in hospitals, and, ultimately, for us to achieve equal treatment in society,” Chong said.

Learn more about the Nature Award for Inclusive Health Research here.