Bridging Language Barriers with the Integrated Healthcare Communicator
- Summary
- Background
In the hospital, healthcare staff encounter language barrier with patients who do not speak English and are more conversant in dialect. Unfortunately many of the staff (especially younger local staff and foreign staff) are not conversant in dialects. This can lead to poorer care experience for the patients. Existing measures to overcome language barriers like conducting dialect lessons are constrained by staff's ability to learn a new language quickly.
Solution
The Integrated Healthcare Communicator (iCOM), a smartphone dialect application, provides an interface where healthcare staff can select the common phrases used in the course of providing care to generate an output in the desired dialect. iCOM is very portable, easily accessible, simple to navigate and flexible with the option of either audio playback or visual display or both. With iCOM s ability to provide immediate and correct translations at the bedside, healthcare staff can now have the capability to convey their messages real-time and effectively to dialect speaking patients. Patients would have a better care experience as a result of improved understanding between them and the healthcare staff. iCOM also facilitates healthcare staff s self-learning of different dialects at their own pace and environment. It enables on-the-job training as well as training on the go, at their fingertips.
- Technology Benefits
- Most currently available language translator products do not include local dialects. iCOM will bring value to reduce language barriers and enhance communication between healthcare staff and patients.
Facilitates healthcare staff s self-learning of different dialects at their own pace and environment and also enables on-the-job training as well as training on the go, at their fingertips.
Very portable, easily accessible, simple to navigate and flexible.
- Technology Application
- The content in iCOM is specifically customised for use in Clinical settings. iCOM could be used in any healthcare institutions such as hospitals, community hospitals, nursing home and day care centres where there are more elderly patients who are only conversant in dialects.
- Detailed Technology Description
- The Integrated Healthcare Communicator (iCOM) is a mobile application that allows users to select phrases in English to be translated. The translated media includes a text display, an audio output, a phonetic guide and an accompanying pictorial aid of the phrase where applicable. A search bar incorporated on all pages, including the home page, allows text input to facilitate the quick search and retrieval of a particular phrase. The phrases have been classified under different categories for easy reference and navigation. The application is currently Android based which can be downloaded and accessed via smartphones/devices and used at patients' bedside.
- Application Date
- 21-Aug-2015
- ID No.
- TO17836
- Country/Region
- Singapore
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