Although some can follow conversations remarkably well by using speech reading, the majority cannot. You will need to make a special effort to serve this group. Probably the least attractive communication method to use with deaf patients is to pass written notes back and forth. This is a slow and tedious process for anyone, and especially so for many deaf people who grew up using sign language almost exclusively and have poor English skills. Although mastery of this language is probably as difficult as learning any foreign language, just one year of study can give someone enough of the basics to greatly facilitate communications with deaf individuals.
Initial histories are probably the point where the most communication needs to take place.
If possible, the deaf patient should bring an interpreter with them for their first visit. A problem deaf patients had in the past was using the telephone for things like making appointments. Luckily, this has been solved by modern technology. You do not have to get a separate phone number for the machine. Deaf patients can call your office and their machine will announce that a TDD is needed for the call.