Issues To Consider In Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Patients Successful interaction with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing requires an understanding of background issues, including the significance of the age of onset of deafness, the patient's choice of language, the patient's cultural identification and educational history, and the type of hearing loss. All of these factors should influence the physician's interview techniques and use of resources. Adequate communication with adults who cannot hear is less complicated than one might suppose. It takes only a little ingenuity and a great deal of patience an