Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patients’ Perspectives

This chapter introduces the narratives of eight deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) patients’ experiences using video remote interpreters (VRI) versus in-person interpreters, their interpreting preferences for critical and non-critical care, and their suggestions for improving the quality of medical interpreting services. These narratives reveal that D/HH patients prefer in-person interpreters for both critical and non-critical care to achieve effective communication, translation accuracy, and a human trust relationship. Additionally, they would accept using VRI for a specific reason, such as until an in-person interpreter arrives for emergency care, but they would not accept it for regular medical appointments. Overall, D/HH patients assert that VRI is inferior to an in-person interpreter regarding the outcome of patient–provider communication.