UsefulCommunicationSupportsforMedicalEncounters
ManycommunicationboardsandotherresourcesandsupportsforhealthcarecommunicationcanbedownloadedatnocostfromtheInternetonhardstockorforfuturelamination.Inadditionthereareseverallow-costresourcesthatcanbepurchasedinquantityanddistributedtootherpeoplewhoneedhelpinnavigatingthecommunicationpitfallsinhealthcaresettings.Thissectionreviewsmanyoftheseresourcesandprovideslinkstothewebsitesfromwhichtheycanbeobtained.Youcanalsofinddescriptionsofsimilarorparallelresourcesinothersectionsofthiswebsite,athttp://www.patientprovidercommunication.org/examples_of_pp_materials.htm
TheCentralCoastChildren'sFoundationMedicalEncounterCommunicationBoard
Communicationduringamedicalencountercanoftenbeimperfectandcomplicatedforeverybody,butforpatientswhoforvariousreasonsarecommunicationvulnerable(speakaforeignlanguage,havepre-existingmedicalconditionsthatlimitcommunicationcapabilities)thiscanbeanextremelyscarysituation.
Tohelpsupportpatient:providercommunicationduringtheseoftendifficultinteractions,theCentralCoastChildren’sFoundationhasdevelopedafreedownloadablecommunicationsheetdesignedforregularmedicalencountersinclinicsordoctors'offices,andduringemergencyroomvisits.Ononesidearegeneralphasesandstatementsonemightuseinamedicaloffice.Ontheothersidearequestionsandstatementsthatonemightneedinconversingdirectlywithanurseordoctor.YoucanfinditinseverallanguagesontheWidgithealthwebsiteintheU.K.athttp://widgit-health.com/downloads/medical-encounter-board.htmorhereat:http://www.patientprovidercommunication.org/userfiles/file/1_1MedicalEncounterCommunicationBoard.pdf
TheTobyChurchillBasicCommunicationBoard
TheTobyChurchillBasicCommunicationBoardcontainsthelettersofthealphabet,commonwordsandemotions.ThePDFoffers4choicesofkeyboard–QWERTY,qwerty,ABCDorabcd.Justmakeyourchoiceprintityourself,andyouarereadytogo,it’stotallyportableanditis
besttokeepithandyatalltimes.Youcouldalsolaminateitinordertomakeitstudierandlongerlasting.Ifyouloseordamageityoucanjustprintoutanother.Itisausefulitemtokeepforfirstresponders,incriticalcareunits,doctor’ssurgeries,schools,daycenters,hospices,privatehomes.Itcanbeusedbyanybodyliteratewhoisunabletospeaksuchaspeoplewithvocalcorddamage,swallowingdifficulties,strokesurvivors,MS,MND,CerebralPalsy,Autism,Parkinson’sdisease,dyspraxiaandotherconditions
affectingspeech.Itisalsousefulwhencommunicatingwithpeoplewithhearingproblems.
Paramedic&EMSSymbolBoard(WidgitHealth)
DevelopedwithSPEAKUnlimitedInc.ThissymbolcommunicationboardwascreatedasatooltoassistParamedicsandthoseintheEmergencyMedicalServicesininteractingwithanyindividualforwhomclearspeechisdifficultorimpossible.AvailableinBritishEnglishanddual-languageAmerican/Spanish.
http://www.widgit-health.com/downloads/paramedic-board.html
EmergencyMedicalSituationCommunicationBoard
Thisdouble-sidedboardcontainsvocabularytohelpthepatientandfirstrespondertoexpressandunderstandmessagesrelatingtothemedicalsituation.ItwasdevelopedasatooltoenhancecommunicationbetweenParamedicsandpatientswithcommunicationvulnerabilitiesatthefirstpointofcontactinanemergencymedicalsituationinQueensland,Australia.
Itincludesavisualpainscale,bodyoutlinestohelplocatesourcesofpain,tipsforinteractingwithinjuredindividuals,illustrateequipment/materialsfirstrespondersmightuse,usessymbolstohelpexplainwhatmighthappennext.
Thistoolisfree,andcanbedownloadedonasingle,double-sided8.5x11”sheet.
Youcandownloaditat:https://www.qld.gov.au/disability/community/communicating/
Communication4AllinEnglish,SpanishandHaitian(Creole)FreelydownloadableTempleUniversitycommunicationboards
Communicationduringtimesofemergencyiscritical.However,manyindividualsmaynotcommunicateeffectivelyduetotheirdisability,injury,orshock.Forothers,spokenEnglishmaynotbeeffectiveaswell.
Sincecommunicationissoimportant,TempleUniversityhasdevelopedfreedownloadablecommunicationaidsinEnglishandSpanish.TheseaidscanbeusedduringtimesofemergencywhenspokenEnglishorSpanishmaynoteffective.
http://disabilities.temple.edu/aacvocabulary/e4all.shtml
MyHealthPassport
Knowingpatients’preferencesandhowtointeractwiththemisimportantforasuccessfulmedicalvisit.Whenpatientshavecomplexcommunicationneeds,itmaynotbeeasyforthemtocommunicateallofthisinformation.Therefore,theFloridaCenterforInclusiveCommunitieshascreatedafreelydownloadablehealthpassportforpatientstocarrywiththem,availableinbothEnglishandSpanish.It
containsinformationsuchaspatient’sname,abriefmedicalhistory,thingsthatcalmapatient,allergies,foodpreferencesandpreferredactivitiestopassthetime.http://flfcic.fmhi.usf.edu/docs/FCIC_Health_Passport_Form_Typeable_English.pdf
LeavingHospitalChecklist
Manycommunicationbreakdownsoccurasapatientisleavingthehospital.Thisisthemostcriticalcommunicationperiodfornotreturningbacktothehospitalpreemptively.During
discharge,doctorsturncareovertothepatientsandholdthemresponsiblefortakingmedications,goingtofollow-upappointmentsandobeyinganyotherrulesthedoctorgives.Toaidinthiscommunicationprocessandinrememberingalltheinstructionsgivenbythedoctor,WidgetHealthhascreatedafreelydownloadableLeavingHospitalChecklistforthedoctorandpatienttofillouttogetherandthenthepatienttotakehome.http://widgit-health.com/easy-read-sheets/pdfs/Leaving%20Hospital%20-%20checklist.pdf
EmergencyInformationFormforChildrenwithSpecialNeeds
Inordertoensuretimelyandcorrecttreatmentwithoutunnecessaryerrors,emergencyphysiciansneedtoknowmedicalneedsoftheirpatients.Becausechildrenwithspecialneedsoftenhaveuniquemedicalhistoriesandcomplexmedicalneeds,theAmericanAcademyofPediatricshascreatedanEmergencyInformationFormforChildrenwithSpecialNeedstocompiletheinformationemergencydoctorswillneedinoneconvenientplace:http://www2.aap.org/advocacy/blankform.pdf.Theorganizationalsohascasespecificformsandinstructionsforparentsthatcanbefoundhere:http://www2.aap.org/advocacy/emergprep.htm.
TheHospitalCommunicationBook:Helpingtomakesurepeoplewhohavedifficultiesunderstandingand/orcommunicatinggetanequalserviceinhospital
TheHospitalCommunicationBookisa24-pageresourceforpatients,providersandFamilyMembers.ThebookwasdesignedbyTheClearCommunicationPeopleLtdonbehalfofTheLearningDisabilityPartnershipBoardinSurrey,England.
Therearetwosectionswithlotsofpicturesanddiagrams.Thefirstsectionisforhospitalstaff.Itcontainsbasicinformationaboutthekindsofcommunicationneedspeoplehave.Itincludesinformationabouthowtocommunicatewithsomeonewhohasdifficultyspeakingandhowtosupportpeoplewithvisionandhearingimpairments.Therearealsosectionsonusingmanualsigns,picturesandphotosforcommunication.
Thesecondsectionhaspicturesandsimpleexplanationsofbasichospitalprocedures,painlevels,personalcare,choicesforfoodanddrink,symptoms(someexamplesshownbelow)andmore.Thesematerialsmakeiteasierforpatientstounderstandwhatishappeningandfornursesanddoctorstoexplainthings.Thisbookisaterrificpatient-providercommunicationtool.
TheHospitalCommunicationBookcanbedownloadedonlineforfreeathttp://www.communicationpeople.co.uk/Hospital%20Book.htm
TheICE(InCaseofEmergency)CommunicationCard
TheWidgitICECardiscreditcardsized,andeasilyfoldsouttoalargersheet.OnesidecontainsyourICEinformation,witheachsectionillustratedbyasymbol.Onthereverseisasymbolcommunicationsheet.
Thecommunicationsheetprovideseasyaccesstoapainscaleandcoreresponsesthatmaybeusedatanytime.Forexample,theresponses‘Yes’and‘No’.
Whoisitfor?
ICEcardscansavetimeandlivesinmedicalemergencies,byprovidingaquickvisualtoolthatcanbeusedbyanyonetoclarifyunderstanding.
• Ifapersoncannothearorspeakasaresultofanaccident,symbolscanbeaneffectivetooltoaidcommunication.
• Forpeopletravellinginaforeigncountry,symbolscanaidcommunicationwithpeoplewhospeakanotherlanguage.
• Symbolsareacommoninformationtoolusedbypeoplewithalearningimpairmentoracommunicationchallenge,forexampleAutism,Down'sSyndromeorDyslexia
• Theelderlyareparticularlyvulnerableastheymaydependmoreonmedicationandsufferinjuriesmoreeasily.
• Peoplewithdementiamayfinditeasiertousesymbolswhencommunicatinginaemergencysituation.
• Peoplesufferingastrokemayslurtheirspeechandfinditdifficulttofindwordsor
understandspeech.
ForUSandCanadianorders(packof20for$25Canadian)visitBridges/Canadaat:https://store.bridges-canada.com/konakart/SelectProd.do?prodId=9315
CriticalCommunicator
Patientsmayhavedifficultiescommunicatingonatemporarybasisoralong-termbasis.Eitherway,therearemanysimpleandinexpensivetoolsavailabletohelpthesepatientscommunicatetothehealthcareprovidersortheirfamilies.AliMedhascreatedaneasy-to-usecommunicationboardwithpicturesandscalestoassistpatientsintalkingaboutpain,medicalneeds,food,comfortandthepeoplearoundthem.TheCriticalCommunicatorisavailablein21languages,soldinpacksof10or30for$23.75-$41.00:http://www.alimed.com/the-critical-communicator.html.
ThereisalsoaCriticalCommunicatoraimedspecificallyforchildren,whichisavailableinbothEnglishandSpanish,soldinpacksof25for$33.00-$35.00:http://www.alimed.com/the-critical-communicator-for-kids.html.
