Sometimes it is not possible to get an interpreter in a health care situation. What can a doctor or nurse do then? Fortunately, there is a category of sign language that can help: Medical sign language.
Books on Medical Sign Language
The following medical sign language books are available:
- Random House Webster's American Sign Language Medical Dictionary (compare prices)
- Medical Sign Language : Easily Understood Definitions of Commonly Used Medical, Dental & First Aid Terms (compare prices)
- Sign Language Pictograms for Hospital Communication - This is not a book, but a notebook of pictograms, pictures of selected phrases in sign language with English captions for use by hospital staff. Produced by the Justice Department, this notebook was distributed to many hospitals.
- Signs of Health - Produced by DeafSign, this book is for British health care workers.
Medical sign language videos
Online Medical Sign Language Resources
In addition to the above books, the following online resources are available:
- Medical sign language phrasebook- This website repackages selected signs from an online sign language dictionary, into medical phrases.

