Communication Barriers

The objectives of this clinical trial are to explore the feasibility of the eye-tracking communication tool in alleviating communication barriers among non-verbal ICU patients. It will also preliminarily investigate the effectiveness of this tool in facilitating communication for these patients. Researchers will compare the eye-tracking communication tool with conventional techniques (such as body language, writing boards, etc.) to observe the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the eye-tracking communication tool in alleviating communication barriers. Participants will use an eye-tracking communication tool for augmentative communication for 2 consecutive days.

Communication impairment is common among critically ill patients who are mechanically ventilated, have tracheostomies, or have neurological injuries such as spinal cord injury. In acute care settings, inability to communicate contributes to patient distress, impairs symptom assessment, and may delay care. Although a range of communication supports exist, many are difficult to use in patients with severe weakness, limited endurance, or fluctuating cognition. More advanced assistive communication systems, including eye-tracking and brain-computer interface platforms, have shown promise in chronic neurological populations but have not been well adapted to the practical realities of acute care. This study will use a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design to better understand communication barriers in acute care from the perspective of frontline healthcare providers. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with nurses and speech-language pathologists working with patients who have spinal cord injury, tracheostomy, or other causes of impaired verbal communication in ICU and related acute care settings. Findings from these interviews will inform development of a structured survey to be distributed to a broader group of nurses and speech-language pathologists. Qualitative and quantitative findings will then be integrated to identify priority communication needs, limitations of current strategies, and practical requirements for future assistive communication tools. Findings will inform development of clinically relevant communication solutions for acute care environments.

50 responsive patients with language barriers will be included in this study. The prehospital emergency physician will start video-interpreting via a tablet. Feasibility, quality of communication, usability as well as changes in diagnosis and treatment will be gathered and analysed.

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether an eye-tracking interactive agent can ameliorate communication impairments and reduce the incidence of complications among non-verbal patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the eye tracking interactive agent alleviate communication impairments among non-verbal patients in the ICU? Does the eye tracking interactive agent improve communication efficiency among non-verbal patients in the ICU? Does the eye tracking interactive agent m reduce the incidence of negative emotions among non-verbal patients in the ICU? Does the eye tracking interactive agent shorten the ICU length of stay for non-verbal patients in the ICU? Does the eye tracking interactive agent reduce the dosage of analgesic and sedative medications for non-verbal patients in the ICU? Does the eye tracking interactive agent improve family satisfaction for non-verbal patients in the ICU? Does the eye tracking interactive agent alleviate nurses' communication burden among non-verbal patients in the ICU? Researchers will compare eye tracking interactive agent to conventional techniques to see if e eye tracking interactive agent works to alleviate communication impairments. Participants will: Use an eye tracking interactive agent for augmentative communication for 2 consecutive days Document each communication's details, ICU LOS, and analgesic-sedative dosages; assess communication difficulty severity, delirium, anxiety, family satisfaction and nurses' communication burden with validated scales.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to find out which technological translation tools can be used to improve Dutch-speaking care in all Brussels out-of-hours primary care services.