Care for the deaf in health services: a silenced outcry

Abstract

This study analyzes the social representations of healthcare for deaf individuals by healthcare professionals. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted, applying the Theory of Social Representations in its procedural approach. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with nurses, nursing technicians, physical therapists, and physicians from a health facility in Porto Velho, Rondônia State, Brazil. The data produced were subjected to lexical analysis using the Alceste software. The results indicate that the representations of care for deaf individuals in healthcare take place through three dimensions: the symbolic dimension, associated with the interdiction of communication; the affective dimension, manifested via suffering, anguish, and fear in assisting deaf patients; and the attitudinal dimension, in which professionals employed strategies aimed at establishing communication to provide care.