Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, has settled two lawsuits involving deaf patients who were allegedly not adequately provided sign-language interpretation services, according to a Des Moines Register report.
In one case, a deaf patient was admitted to Mercy Medical Center's emergency department in 2008 for "inexplicable shortness of breath." No sign language interpreters were available to help the patient and his also-deaf wife communicate with emergency physicians until five hours after the patient died of an undetected heart condition.
In another 2008 case, a deaf patient undergoing a hysterectomy for cancer was allegedly not provided adequate interpretation services on numerous occasions, including two times when she needed to communicate her pain, according to the report.
While defending its quality of care, Mercy Medical Center said it paid undisclosed amounts to both parties and promised to improve interpretation services for its deaf patients, including remote video links to interpreters, according to the report.
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In one case, a deaf patient was admitted to Mercy Medical Center's emergency department in 2008 for "inexplicable shortness of breath." No sign language interpreters were available to help the patient and his also-deaf wife communicate with emergency physicians until five hours after the patient died of an undetected heart condition.
In another 2008 case, a deaf patient undergoing a hysterectomy for cancer was allegedly not provided adequate interpretation services on numerous occasions, including two times when she needed to communicate her pain, according to the report.
While defending its quality of care, Mercy Medical Center said it paid undisclosed amounts to both parties and promised to improve interpretation services for its deaf patients, including remote video links to interpreters, according to the report.
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