This study explores the communication needs of ICU patients who have lost verbal abilities due to trauma or treatment. It proposes an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system to facilitate communication between patients, medical staff, and caregivers during recovery. The aim is to overcome communication barriers, enhance nursing quality, and prevent adverse hospital incidents caused by poor communication. This research fills a gap in AAC design for this specific healthcare domain, offering valuable insights for future development and testing of assistive devices. This qualitative study investigates the communication needs of critical patients, medical personnel, and family members in an ICU setting. The study found that patients have simpler communication needs, mostly related to sensation and physiological needs. However, when these needs arise, they become urgent. Overly complex communication systems can be burdensome and may be rejected by patients and caregivers. The advantages of AAC include improved communication efficiency and accuracy. Key design considerations for AAC include ease of use, simplicity, context-specific content, and language selection. A four-level AAC design prototype was proposed based on these findings, focusing on sensation expression, physiological needs, and emergency assistance. Future work will involve testing the prototype with patients, medical teams, and family members in the ICU.

Authors:
Yi-Chun Li, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
Wen-Huei Chou, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Yi-Chun Li is currently a Project Lecturer in the Department of Digital Media Design at National Yunlin University of Science and Technology. His primary academic research focuses on interactive multimedia, including VR, AR, and sound.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

Bookmark