A new partnership between SignHealth, the healthcare charity for deaf people, and EMIS, the UK’s leading provider of GP systems, will enable Deaf patients to enjoy better access to GP services.
The charity’s SignTranslate, a web-based communication program for Deaf people, is being made available free of charge to GP practises in England until 31st July 2009. The program translates over 300 medical related questions into video clips offering a quick and easy way to improve communication during a GP consultation.
5,000 surgeries use the EMIS clinical system in the UK and for them access to the new technology will be instant via an embedded link in the EMIS desktop. Non-EMIS practises will be able to access the service by logging on to the SignTranslate website.
"With only about 400 fully qualified interpreters in England to support approximately 70,000 Deaf people who use British Sign Language as their first language,” says SignHealth Chief Executive Steve Powell.“It can be a real challenge arranging a supported doctor's appointment. By funding SignTranslate to be free for every GP in England, we hope that every Deaf person will be able to see their doctor when necessary."
Additional benefits of the software include spoken and written translations into 12 foreign languages and, for a small fee, a ‘live’ on-line interpreter.