Technology challenges among deaf and hard of hearing elders in China during COVID-19 pandemic emergency isolation: A qualitative study.

Digital technology can be an effective tool to facilitate emergency assistance in a pandemic, but many deaf and hard-of-hearing elders may experience challenges in using and adopting these technologies. In the context of the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, this study employs a qualitative research method based on in-depth interviews to explore technology challenges among deaf and hard-of-hearing elders in China. The results showed that this group's technology challenges arose mainly from barriers to the mastery of digital technology tools, among which barriers to the use of smartphones, to the accessibility of online medical consultations, and to the presentation of health codes, were most noteworthy. For the informants, these barriers led to social isolation and technology avoidance. What's more, the expectation of individuals to adopt certain types of digital intelligence technologies can inadvertently create inequities for disadvantaged groups and exacerbate the "digital divide." This study highlights the need for emergency management systems to be inclusive of elders with hearing loss in times of public health crises, by providing effective technology support and training to facilitate individuals' access to services and to safeguard their health, interests, and livelihood.

External Communication Barriers among Elderly Deaf and Hard of Hearing People in China during the COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Isolation: A Qualitative Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a great risk to older people with hearing impairment, who face a higher threshold of external communication after the implementation of the emergency isolation policy. As part of a study on the optimization of external communication among the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) population in central China, this study employed a qualitative research method based on in-depth interviews to explore the needs and difficulties faced by the older DHH group in external communication during public health emergencies in Wuhan, China, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that older DHH people had weak reception of critical information about the epidemic, and had suboptimal access to medical care during emergency quarantine, which increased interpersonal communication barriers to this group. The current findings highlight the urgent need for targeted strengthening of the original emergency communication and coordination mechanisms in public health emergencies, and for improving policy inclusiveness for older DHH individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and emergencies alike.