Developing Internal Communication Practice That Supports Employee Engagement July 2012
Useful Communication Supports for Medical …...Useful Communication Supports for Medical Encounters...
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Useful Communication Supports for Medical Encounters Many communication boards and other resources and supports for healthcare communication can be downloaded at no cost from the Internet on hard stock or for future lamination. In addition there are several low-cost resources that can be purchased in quantity and distributed to other people who need help in navigating the communication pitfalls in healthcare settings. This section reviews many of these resources and provides links to the web sites from which they can be obtained. You can also find descriptions of similar or parallel resources in other sections of this web site, at http://www.patientprovidercommunication.org/examples_of_pp_materials.htm The Central Coast Children's Foundation Medical Encounter Communication Board Communication during a medical encounter can often be imperfect and complicated for everybody, but for patients who for various reasons are communication vulnerable (speak a foreign language, have pre-existing medical conditions that limit communication capabilities) this can be an extremely scary situation. To help support patient:provider communication during these often difficult interactions, the Central Coast Children’s Foundation has developed a free downloadable communication sheet designed for regular medical encounters in clinics or doctors' offices, and during emergency room visits. On one side are general phases and statements one might use in a medical office. On the other side are questions and statements that one might need in conversing directly with a nurse or doctor. You can find it in several languages on the Widgit health web site in the U.K. at http://widgit-health.com/downloads/medical-encounter- board.htm or here at: http://www.patientprovidercommunication.org/userfiles/file/1_1MedicalEncounterCommuni cationBoard.pdf The Toby Churchill Basic Communication Board The Toby Churchill Basic Communication Board contains the letters of the alphabet, common words and emotions. The PDF offers 4 choices of keyboard – QWERTY, qwerty, ABCD or abcd. Just make your choice print it yourself, and you are ready to go, it’s totally portable and it is
Transcript of Useful Communication Supports for Medical …...Useful Communication Supports for Medical Encounters...
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.
