Disclosures: Taylor A. Colon, DO: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest
Objective: (1) Educate the Inpatient Rehabilitation (IPR) admissions team in utilizing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) techniques in patients with expressive communication disability (ECD); (2) Evaluate incidents and/or medical errors secondary to communication lapses.
Design: Action Research, Survey/Questionnaire Setting : Rusk Rehabilitation Hospital, Columbia, Missouri Participants : IPR admissions team: attending physicians, resident physicians, nurses, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, and pharmacists.
Interventions: Educational presentation given to IPR admissions team.
Main Outcome Measures: Pre-intervention (n=63) and post-intervention (n=38) questionnaires to evaluate knowledge and comfort level using AAC techniques with ECD patients.
Results: Pre-intervention: 100% of providers reported caring for at least one ECD patient within the last 12 months. Expressive aphasia (88.7%), language barrier (82.3%), and tracheostomy (67.7%) were commonly recognized impairments. 50% of providers reported confidence in using AAC techniques. When questioned regarding confidence in using certain techniques, 91.9% selected writing, communication boards, and gestures/body language, 50.0% electronic devices, and 8.6% lateral clicks. Post-intervention: 79% of providers reported improved confidence with AAC techniques, 92.1% usage of writing, communication boards, and gestures/body language, 60.5% electronic devices, and 68.4% lateral clicks. Cited incidents and/or medical errors occurring secondary to communication lapses: 3.2% reported an injury occurrence, 40.3% a delay in care, 1.6% a known mortality, and 58.1% no error occurrence. Conclusions: Educational intervention on AAC improved participants’ confidence level and preparedness communicating with patients with ECD and using various AAC techniques, particularly, lateral clicks.
Level of Evidence: Level II
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Colon TA, Burris JE, Thomas KM. Educational Intervention on Augmentative and Alternative Communication Techniques Improves Patient-Provider Communication for Patients with Expressive Communication Disability [abstract]. PM R. 2020; 12(S1)(suppl 1). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/educational-intervention-on-augmentative-and-alternative-communication-techniques-improves-patient-provider-communication-for-patients-with-expressive-communication-disability/. Accessed May 31, 2025.« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2020
PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/educational-intervention-on-augmentative-and-alternative-communication-techniques-improves-patient-provider-communication-for-patients-with-expressive-communication-disability/