Patient and Family Advisory Council identified communication as a concern
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| Speech language pathologist Kelly Birzes explains how to use the communication board to a York Hospital trauma patient. Patients can point to the pictures on the communication board to let family members and health care providers know how they feel or what they want. The board was created to reflect the input of patients, family members and nursing staff. |
Having a family member or loved one in an intensive care unit (ICU) is a stressful and often frustrating experience. Besides being in distress, many ICU patients have difficulty or are unable to communicate.
Yet, it’s important for family members, nurses and physicians to know how they feel, their degree of pain and discomfort and what they want.
When the Trauma Patient and Family Advisory Council identified communication as a concern, York Hospital embarked on an effort to make it easier for these patients to communicate.
“Our goal was to improve communication, particularly for those patients who are unable to talk because they are intubated,” said Amy Krichten, program manager for trauma services.
At first, Kelli Eldredge, a clinical educator and RN on Trauma Surgical ICU, informally approached speech-language pathologist Kelly Birzes, who works with trauma patients daily.
After discussing the problem, Birzes gathered information on appropriate types of augmentative and alternative communication devices.
“This is a good example of working as one,” said Krichten. “Nursing reached out to the content experts and departments worked together for the betterment of the patient and families.”
A wide range of devices was presented to the Trauma Patient and Family Advisory Council.
“Some of the devices were technologically sophisticated and others were rather simple,” added Krichten.
The advisory council favored the simple communication board with pictures depicting emotions and needs along with the corresponding words. The board consists of several laminated flip-style pages ring-bound.
Birzes said the pictures also are spaced so that patients can use the board via eye gaze to communicate if they have difficulty with motor control, but are cognitively intact.
The board was created to reflect the input of patients, family members and nursing staff. “Using the low-tech communication boards is consistent with research on augmentative and alternative communication in the acute care setting,” said Birzes.
“We learned a lot from our advisory council and looking at things from their perspective,” said Krichten. “At the end of the day, we all benefit from improved communications. It definitely enhances the patient and family experience."
Birzes said research shows that enhanced patient communication improves patient well-being, increases compliance and reduces the length of stay.
The communication boards are available for use by any staff member or therapist who may be in the patient’s room as well as family members.
A post survey is made available to family members, asking for their input on the communication boards. Plans are to roll out the communication boards to other areas of the hospital in the future.