U of M aids patients in talking
The University of Memphis School of Communication Sciences and Disorders has developed a low-tech way for hospitalized coronavirus patients to speak with doctors and their families.
The laminated communication boards can be kept at the bedsides of patients who can't speak because they need the help of a ventilator to breathe.
“As confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed in Shelby County, we realized that more and more people were going to be on ventilators,” said Dr. Linda Jarmulowicz, dean of the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. “In the ICU, the first priority is stabilizing the patient, and that often means intubation. It is not possible to speak while you are intubated. Even after a breathing tube is removed, sometimes speaking is difficult. Yet the need to communicate does not subside. These simple communication boards can be kept at bedside and used by patients to express immediate needs.”
The board includes words and photos that represent common questions and statements patients might have, including expressing anxiety or fear or asking for medication or protective equipment.
Also included is a second letter board to ask questions or provide answers not included among the pictures and words.
Boards have already been delivered to Baptist Memorial Hospital locations in Memphis and Desoto County and to Methodist Hospital in Olive Branch. The school is working to make the boards available to other hospitals that need them.