Madison “socks” Haas, a first-year medical student at the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS), has taken her self-professed love of languages and used that to expand her repertoire to ASL. In doing so, she’s also learned the importance of using language to bridge the gap between a clinician and a patient who is d/Deaf or hard of hearing.
“I think in a broad sense, being able to connect with patients is going to improve their care,” she said. “You’re doing the patient a disservice if you don’t try” to communicate with them in their own language.
The two ASL elective courses, one credit each, meet remotely two times a week for one hour, for a total of 10 weeks. The first ASL course is typically offered in the fall and the second in the winter semester. The two ASL courses are part of UMMS’s medical language curriculum but have a special emphasis on communication best practices and introduction to the Deaf culture.
“Healthcare systems and medical professionals don’t take into account the unique needs and requirements of this population,” said Michael M. McKee, MD, MPH, associate professor in the Department of Family and MDisability director, who also contributes to the ASL training curriculum. As a doctor with hearing loss, he is fluent in ASL.
“Those at the medical school, along with MDisability members, feel it’s imperative to lead changes in how doctors not only communicate with people who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, but to understand that neglecting to meet these patients ‘where they are’ with communication leads to poorer health outcomes and inequitable care,” he added.
MDisability members, along with the help of current and former UMMS students, led the charge in establishing the course in 2021. The first course introduced students to basic ASL, taught by a person who was Deaf, and taught them about Deaf culture.
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A second ASL course was recently added, allowing students to refine their ASL skills and learn about technology used in the clinic with d/Deaf or hard of hearing patients, including video relay service, video remote interpreting, remote in-house interpretation services and in-person interpretation. They also learn which technology is most appropriate in certain medical situations.
Haas, who has taken both courses, says she feels comfortable introducing herself to a patient who is d/Deaf and uses ASL but is eager to learn more so that she’s comfortable conducting a patient clinical interview.
“I think there are so many barriers to (patients who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing) in general that being able to show them as a patient and as a community that you understand those barriers will bring you closer and will allow you to take into account their needs,” she said.
The ASL elective course number is FAM MED 5970. For more information about course, please contact Gabriella Auchus at [email protected] or Sarah Hughes at [email protected].