Barbara is a first-year doctoral researcher at the Design School, where she was awarded a fully funded research studentship by Loughborough University. With an interdisciplinary academic background, she holds an MSc in Information Technology and a BSc in Healthcare Management from the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Her professional journey has been rooted in academia, where she has contributed as a researcher, data analyst, data storyteller, and content creator for academic institutions. Her research expertise centres on patient experience, focusing on themes such as patient satisfaction, trust in the doctor-patient relationship, and designing for people with dementia.
As a hard-of-hearing researcher and a disability rights activist, her greatest interest is to address the systemic barriers that people with disabilities face in healthcare. She is committed to advancing policies and research that raise awareness and promote the active participation of individuals with disabilities in shaping equitable and inclusive practices in healthcare. Her PhD project explores how design can facilitate communication for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients and improve participation in interactions in healthcare.
Title of thesis: Advocacy for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Patients in Healthcare
Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) individuals face significant challenges in healthcare, often arising from persistent communication barriers. Although many strategies have been developed to improve hearing and communication in healthcare settings, the complexity of factors shaping the experiences of this population brings unique challenges that existing accessibility solutions often fail to address.
The barriers faced by DHH patients, deeply rooted in systemic inequities, contribute to poorer health outcomes. These patients frequently struggle to access clear information and effectively convey their preferences, leading to reduced autonomy and limited engagement in their care. Advocacy has emerged as a promising strategy to address these challenges by empowering DHH patients to communicate their needs, assert their rights, and participate more actively in decisions. Research suggests that advocacy enhances patient confidence, adaptability, and satisfaction, promoting more equitable and patient-centred care. In this sense, this research aims to explore how advocacy is exercised by DHH patients in the healthcare context. It seeks to address the critical need, highlighted in many studies, to co-create strategies with DHH individuals to better accommodate their diverse needs. The findings of this research have the potential to inform the development of barrier-free interventions and guidelines, including training programs for healthcare staff, the design of assistive technologies, and improvements to healthcare processes and built environments.