"No one anticipated how the pandemic would impact their Deaf colleagues’ work environment and career opportunities. Yet, 15% of adults report some form of hearing difficulty. This number increases dramatically with advancing age, with 50% of those aged 75 years or older experiencing hearing difficulty. The exact number of Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) physicians and other health care providers is unknown. However, according to the Association of Medical Professionals With Hearing Losses, the numbers have increased over the past few decades. This increase is in part due to legislation (such as the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990) and evolving technologies (such as electronic and visual stethoscopes and speech-to-text applications). Although these changes have enabled more DHH professionals to work in health care, none was sufficient to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on DHH physicians.

I grieved this change in my life. I could not rely on my usual communication methods to understand people. To succeed in this new reality, I had to advocate for full-time interpreters at work to treat my patients, urgently help a colleague with their shift, or attend a last-minute meeting. I needed to select skilled, compatible interpreters while consciously redesigning my work environment to consider their needs, methods, and availability."

Carolyn Stern is a family physician.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Practicing medicine as a Deaf physician is an uphill battle. COVID makes it worse."

This episode is sponsored by Pattern, physician disability and life insurance made simple.

Shopping for disability insurance can be complicated and time-consuming. Wondering if you are getting the best prices and discounts while in training can make the process even more overwhelming. Pattern believes doctors have more important things to do than spend hours sorting through numerous insurance options. This is why thousands of doctors trust Pattern to help them compare and understand the insurance they are buying. They do this in three simple steps: First, request your quotes online. Second, compare your options and ask questions. And third, secure your policy. Be confident that you have the right policy so that your income is protected. With huge discounts for doctors in training and fewer requirements on labs and physicals, now is truly the best time to request your disability insurance quotes with Pattern at patternlife.com. 

Did you enjoy today’s episode?

Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD.

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out.

Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.

Also available in Category 1 CME bundles.

Powered by CMEfy - a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info