Percepções e acessibilidade da pessoa surda aos serviços de saúde bucal

Abstract

In Brazil, the accessibility to health services by the person with hearing impairment finds communication as one of the main obstacles, which considerably limits the establishment of a care bond and, consequently, comprehensive and resolute care. The objective of this research was to understand and reflect on the experiences, perceptions and feelings of deaf people about accessibility to oral health services. For that, a qualitative research was carried out at the Escola Estadual de Audiocomunicação Demóstenes da Cunha Lima (EDAC), a reference for teaching the deaf community in the region of Campina Grande, Paraíba, Northeast. Thirteen deaf people over 18 years old participated in the research. For data collection, a semi-structured script was used for interviews, which were carried out individually by the researcher in charge, always with the help of a Brazilian Sign Language interpreter/translator (LIBRAS) and recorded through audio recording of the participant's speech. interpreter and on video of the interviewee, being fully transcribed into Portuguese. In addition, the field diary was also adopted as a research tool. The data produced were submitted to the Thematic Content Analysis proposed by Bardin with the aid of the ATLAS.ti qualitative analysis software, version 23.0.7.0. The study follows Resolution No. 466/2012 of the National Health Council and obtained a favorable opinion after consideration by the Research Ethics Committee (CEP) of the State University of Paraíba (UEPB). The participants did not have the experience of being assisted by professionals with LIBRAS domain, despite seeing it as an excellent option, reporting using the most diverse strategies to enable dental care, which almost never offer them autonomy, privacy and resolution. The challenge of communicating with health professionals, due to language differences, is added to their lack of availability, goodwill and interest in interacting with deaf patients during consultations. Perceived feelings range from indifference and conformism to anguish, uncertainty and fear. For the deaf, attention to oral health comes from understanding the particularities of each one and the professional availability to serve them as main actors in the space of production and consumption of health practices.