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Emergency Department Testing And Disposition Of Deaf American Sign Language Users And Spanish-Speaking Patients, Jason Rotoli, Timmy Li, Suejong Kim, Tina Wu, Jennifer Hu, Julie Endrizzi, Nathan Garton, Courtney Jones

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objectives: Non-English speaking patients frequently present to the emergency department (ED) for acute care and may present a challenge to efficient clinical ED management and disposition. This study aimed to assess differences in the disposition and clinical management of Spanish-speaking patients and Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users, who worked with a certified, in-person interpreter, compared with English proficient patients who did not utilize interpreter services.

Methods: A retrospective study querying electronic medical records was performed at an academic medical center ED. Patients with a chief complaint of abdominal pain were chosen for this study, as this is a common …