New app for Welsh ambulance service

The Welsh Ambulance Service has launched a new mobile app designed to help staff interact with patients who have additional communication needs.

Pioneered by the Trust’s Patient Experience and Community Involvement Team, the bilingual Pre Hospital Communication Guide App is a useful tool to assist those who are deaf, hard of hearing, don't speak English as their first language, have learning difficulties, or whose illness or injury affects their communication.

Available to download for both staff and members of the public, the app identifies if they use a specific communication method and the language that they speak. It the displays images and supporting text to find out important information about the patient and what has happened if they have had an accident.

Claire Bevan, director of Quality, Safety and Patient Experience, said: “Our staff will often come into contact with members of the community who have difficulty communicating, whether it’s through injury, illness or because they speak a different language.

“As a trust, it’s important that we recognise the communication needs of each individual and are able to find out those crucial details. Especially in the event of a medical emergency, it’s vital that we have a simple means available to quickly discover what symptoms they’re experiencing, as well as their medical history.

“This app is a very positive development in addressing that and we would encourage members of the public and our colleagues alike to download it to their phones.”

The app is available to download on mobile phones using the iOS, Android and Blackberry systems.

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This story was first published in digitalhealth.net

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