Exploring the health literacy status of people with hearing impairment: a systematic review

Abstract Background People with hearing impairment have many problems with healthcare use, which is associated with health literacy. Research on health literacy is less focused on people with hearing impairments. This research aimed to explore the levels of health literacy in people with hearing impairment, find the barriers to health literacy, and summarize methods for improving health literacy. Methods A systematic review was conducted using three databases (PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase) to search the relevant articles and analyze them. The studies were selected using pre-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria in two steps: first, selection by examining the title and abstract; and second, after reading the study in full. The Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies (RoBANS) was used to assess the quality of the articles. Results Twenty-nine studies were synthesized qualitatively. Individuals with hearing impairment were found to have lower health literacy, when compared to those without impairment, which can lead to a higher medical cost. Most of the people with hearing impairment faced barriers to obtaining health-related information and found it difficult to communicate with healthcare providers. To improve their health literacy, it is essential to explore new ways of accessing health information and improving the relationship between patients and healthcare providers. Conclusions Our findings show that people with hearing impairment have lower health literacy than those without. This suggests that developing new technology and policies for people with hearing impairment is necessary not to mention promoting provision of information via sign language. Trial registration OSF: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/V6UGW . PROSPERO ID: CRD42023395556