TALK2CARE
Every year, around 33,000 patients are admitted to an intensive care unit for a shorter or longer period of time (Bjørneboe, et al., 2015). Patients admitted to an intensive care unit are critically ill, and some patients are connected to a respirator for a shorter or longer period of time.
In Denmark, we have been working for the past 20-25 years with a treatment practice where very few patients on a respirator are kept in an artificial coma. Research has shown that this has a number of advantages, such as shorter need for a respirator and shorter hospitalization periods.
But intubated patients have difficulty communicating even the most basic needs to their surroundings because they have a tube down their throat. So, although there are great benefits to keeping patients on a ventilator awake, several studies show that it can be both frustrating and anxiety-provoking for the individual patient, who is unable to communicate even the most basic needs to their surroundings.
COLLABORATION
A collaboration between Odense University Hospital, Microsoft and BLUEFRAGMENTS led to the development of the TALK2CARE application.
TALK2CARE is an app that gives patients undergoing respiratory therapy the opportunity to communicate their wishes and needs, express emotions, become part of their own care and treatment, and enter into dialogue with doctors, nurses, and relatives sitting at the bedside.
TALK2CARE supports the shift in care that is currently being implemented in the overall healthcare sector, where there is much more focus on the whole person. TALK2CARE can support that as a professional you are not only asked about needs related to close care. “If you can feel that there are other burning questions of a more existential nature, TALK2CARE can also support the difficult conversation with critically ill patients connected to a respirator.
COMMUNICATION TOOL
TALK2CARE does not entail changes in work organization, as it is still the specific context surrounding the patient and nurse's relationship and care of the patient that determines whether TALK2CARE is used or not.
TALK2CARE should not be seen as a labor-saving tool, but as a tool to expand communication options.
The application is developed and operated by TALK2CARE and if you are interested in hearing more about how you can get TALK2CARE at your hospital, please contact us for a review and a quote.