Hospital Pharmacists' Perspectives on Communicating with Hearing-Impaired Patients in Pharmacy Settings: A Qualitative Study.

IF 2 4区医学 Q2 MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL

International Journal of General Medicine Pub Date : 2025-10-01 eCollection Date: 2025-01-01 DOI:10.2147/IJGM.S556005

Nasser M Alorfi, Fahad S Alshehri, Ahmed M Ashour, Saad M Wali, Ohood K Almuzaini, Bayan E Ainousah, Mohammed M Aldurdunji, Reem Hasaballah Alhasani, Beisan A Mohammad, Mashael A Alamri, Mohammed S Alharthi, Ghadah Khaled Yousuf, Mustfa Faisal Alkhanani, Nasser M Aldekhail

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Effective communication between hospital pharmacists and patients with disability is essential to ensure proper usage of prescribed medication, medication safety, and therapeutic outcomes. However, patients with hearing impairments encounter unique challenges that are often overlooked in pharmacy practice. There is limited evidence regarding how hospital pharmacists in Saudi Arabia address communication barriers with this patient group.

Objective: To explore the experiences, challenges, and suggestions of hospital pharmacists in Saudi Arabia regarding communication with hearing-impaired patients in pharmacy settings.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using an open-ended online survey distributed to hospital pharmacists across Saudi Arabia between April and May 2025. Twenty-six pharmacists responded to eight open-ended questions covering their experiences, training, communication barriers, and institutional support. Responses were analyzed thematically to identify key themes and insights.

Results: Six major themes resulted from the analysis: (1) lack of formal training and preparedness, (2) limited direct experience with hearing-impaired patients, (3) communication barriers including time constraints and lack of tools, (4) suggestions for communication aids such as tablets and visual boards, (5) institutional responsibilities for training and infrastructure, and (6) pharmacists' recommendations for inclusive service improvement. The findings highlight a critical gap in pharmacist training and system-level policies to support disability-inclusive communication in hospital pharmacy practice.

Conclusion: Hospital pharmacists in Saudi Arabia reported limited preparedness and suggested various practical solutions, including written communication tools and visual aids. Findings indicate opportunities for structured training and institutional support to enhance inclusive communication.

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医院药师在药房环境中与听障患者沟通的观点：一项质性研究。

背景：医院药师与残疾患者之间的有效沟通对于确保处方药物的正确使用、用药安全和治疗效果至关重要。然而，听力障碍患者遇到独特的挑战，往往被忽视的药房实践。关于沙特阿拉伯医院药剂师如何解决与这一患者群体的沟通障碍的证据有限。目的：探讨沙特阿拉伯医院药师在药房与听障患者沟通方面的经验、挑战及建议。方法：在2025年4月至5月期间，对沙特阿拉伯的医院药剂师进行开放式在线调查，进行定性描述性研究。26名药剂师回答了8个开放式问题，涵盖他们的经验、培训、沟通障碍和机构支持。对回答进行了主题分析，以确定关键主题和见解。结果：分析得出六个主要主题：(1)缺乏正规培训和准备；(2)与听障患者的直接经验有限；(3)沟通障碍，包括时间限制和缺乏工具；(4)对沟通辅助工具的建议，如片剂和视觉板；(5)培训和基础设施的机构责任；(6)药剂师对包容性服务改进的建议。研究结果强调了在药剂师培训和系统层面的政策，以支持残疾人包容沟通在医院药房实践的关键差距。结论：沙特阿拉伯的医院药剂师报告准备工作有限，并提出了各种切实可行的解决办法，包括书面沟通工具和视觉辅助工具。调查结果表明，有机会提供结构化培训和机构支持，以加强包容性沟通。

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来源期刊

International Journal of General Medicine Medicine-General Medicine

自引率

0.00%

发文量

1113

审稿时长

16 weeks

期刊介绍： The International Journal of General Medicine is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal that focuses on general and internal medicine, pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment protocols. The journal is characterized by the rapid reporting of reviews, original research and clinical studies across all disease areas. A key focus of the journal is the elucidation of disease processes and management protocols resulting in improved outcomes for the patient. Patient perspectives such as satisfaction, quality of life, health literacy and communication and their role in developing new healthcare programs and optimizing clinical outcomes are major areas of interest for the journal. As of 1st April 2019, the International Journal of General Medicine will no longer consider meta-analyses for publication.