The major part of this project is to determine if Medicare data can be used to measure the quality of health care provided to Deaf and Hard of Hearing consumers. Though limited to analyses of elderly patients, this project provides a first step in objectively measuring whether the health care and health of Deaf and Hard of Hearing is significantly different than the rest of the population. A survey was first conducted by mail to 800 people in a general sample taken from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. If a person in the sample did not respond to the mail survey, he/she was contacted again and interviewed by telephone or face to face. The results are categorized as to hearing conditions, preferred modes of communication and satisfaction with the health care services they have received in Maryland. See DEAFNESS.DFMC.ORG
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participants will be able to: 1) know the percentages of Maryland Medicare patients who reported hearing loss (389.X) diagnosis, 2) be able to describe the modes of communication between patients and medical providers and 3) describe the resulting satisfaction levels with medical health care services.
Keywords: Access to Health Care, Deaf Patients
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Health Care Financing Adminstration, Gallaudet Research Institute and Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.