Melissa McKee is tired of waiting.
The Orillia woman has been asking the local hospital for a few years to better accommodate patients who are deaf or hard of hearing. Now she has taken her grievances with Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) to both the Patient Ombudsman and the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
Her main concern is when staff in the emergency department announce patients' last names in the wait room. McKee, who has served on the hospital’s accessibility advisory committee, is deaf and said she has, more than once in recent years, suggested an electronic communication board for the wait room.
“I brought quotes, and encouraged a local supplier, Electronic Lifestyles, to install a board as they have several of them in their waiting rooms at various departments throughout the hospital. I offered to pay for it,” McKee told OrilliaMatters.
The hospital is well aware of the request.
“With Melissa’s help, and through research and discussion with other hospitals, we’ve examined other options as well, including suggestions to incorporate the flashing/vibrating pagers, or place information on electronic message boards. Each option has pros and cons and we continue to remain open to alternatives,” said Terry Dyni, community relations director at OSMH.
He also clarified the hospital’s procedures when it comes to deaf and hard-of-hearing patients.
“When a deaf or hard-of-hearing person is waiting in our emergency department, we have a process in place whereby, at triage, the patient’s chart is tagged with a prominent sticker designed to alert staff to seek out and approach the patient in person whenever communication is required,” he said. “The general practice of calling out the person’s name as a method of communication is not to be used. Admittedly, we’ve had some instances where we didn’t follow that process as well as we should have and we continue to address that through ongoing education and reminders.”
McKee’s offer to pay for the visual communication board “was very generous,” Dyni said. “However, cost isn’t the only consideration. Integration with existing hospital information systems is also a key requirement. To build a separate electronic system for the sole purpose of patient notification is inefficient.”
He added the hospital would want a solution that would benefit all patients, including those who have sight impairments.
McKee first aired her concerns in a Facebook post, and the response was overwhelming.
“Thanks to social media, I have received much positive feedback ... from Orillians telling me they are struggling with hearing their names being called,” she said, “including those with normal hearing range. Some prefer a number system much like that at Ministry of Transportation and Couchiching Health Clinic. Some prefer buzzing pagers. Some prefer an electronic communication board. Regardless, I’m flexible. But I want this addressed in a timely fashion.”
In her letter to the the Patient Ombudsman, McKee said she was “not picky, but I’m out of patience.”
“They need a visual aid in the ER to communicate when a D/HH (deaf or hard of hearing) patient needs to enter the treatment room. And until this need is met, this hospital remains inaccessible to the D/HH population.
Dyni maintains the hospital meets all requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
“OSMH takes its accessibility obligations very seriously. We always strive to meet or exceed requirements,” he said. “In addition to the notification stickers ... we also have room/door indicators for inpatients who are deaf or hard of hearing.”
