Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe) (01/26/91)
Index Number: 13211
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
RC> Words like hurt, heart, lungs/breathing, hospital, doctor, help,
RC> etc. aren't too uncommon.
No problem with signs like those, and then some. The problem was
a request for signs so arcane and specialized that they probably
don't exist.
JO>> Sign Friends does support fingerspelling, and I think this may
JO>> be the answer.
RC> Yeah, but it's SLOW. . . My fingerspelling rate is pretty decent,
RC> and it still takes too long. Too many medics would say "*&^% it"
RC> and just treat the patient as if they were unconcious. It's this
RC> tendency by medics that scares me.
Scares me too, Rob. And the MDs are lots worse than the EMTs & RNs.
RC> Perhaps a compromise. Nothing too technical, but keep the
RC> common medical words in.
That makes sense. Plus words for the major body parts.
RC> second one's hemoptysis
Would you believe I just checked five books and couldn't find a
sign for hemoptysis ? ;-} But thanks for tuning in here, Rob.
You've made a real contribution to this thread. Stick with us
on SilentTalk. And if I ever need an EMT, I hope you answer
the call.
Jack.
... Live, from Beaver County, it's . . . .
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Internet: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.orgRob.Carr@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Rob Carr) (01/26/91)
Index Number: 13201
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
JO> The problem of communicating with medical personnel at all
JO> levels is well recognized. I believe that hearing people
JO> experience this difficulty also.
This is true. Even as a medical professional, I sometimeshave to hit
the medical dictionary after an apointment with my personal physician. He
treats me as he would treat another doctor, sometimes using terms I am not
familiar with.
JO> But I would really hate to
JO> see Sign Friends encumbered with a flock of narrowly
JO> specialized signs that would be used so infrequently. These
JO> signs might do more harm than good. The fact that you are
JO> having difficulty locating the appropriate signs must tell you
JO> something re their frequency of use and degree of
JO> understanding, even within the signing deaf community.
I'm not so sure about the "more harm than good." The confusion I've seen
when I can't communicate at all can be pretty rough. On the other hand,
teaching EMS personnel signs that no one other than other EMS personnel
know would be profoundly useless. There are quite a few signs that are
commonplace and useful to EMS personnel. You can find most of them in
The Joy of Signing and A Basic Course and the other book that I keep in
my locker at work and can't remember the title of.... Words like hurt,
heart, lungs/breathing, hospital, doctor, help, etc. aren't too uncommon.
JO> Sign Friends does support fingerspelling, and I think this may
JO> be the answer. IMHO, most EMS personnel should be willing to
JO> learn fingerspelling, and this is a reliable way of
JO> communicating with signers, whether or not they are able to
JO> speechread.
Yeah, but it's SLOW. I've been fingerspelling ever since 5th grade when
the girls found out that they could talk behind the teacher's back and the
guys found out we could eavesdrop on the girls. (Or is the PC word "pre-
women?" :-} My fingerspelling rate is pretty decent, and it still takes
too long. Too many medics would say "*&^% it" and just treat the patient
as if they were unconcious. It's this tendency by medics that scares me.
Perhaps a compromise. Nothing too technical, but keep the common medical
words in. If I had to, I could find out if someone had dark tarry stools or
bloody sputum without the words for them (second one's hemoptysis, and I
don't remember the word for the first!).
... Subscribe to The Journal of Disasters in Emergency Medicine: $8.00/yr
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