From Side-Line to Centre: Person- Centered Approaches to Communication Access in Health
Molly Banks1,2,3, Fiona Murphy1,2,3, Rebecca Karmas1,3 1South Western Sydney NSW Local Health District – NSW Health, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia2Western NSW Local Health District – NSW Health, Orange, NSW, Australia3University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Abstract
Background of the project: The Communication for Safe Care project aims to improve communication access in health care settings. It is estimated that 1.2 million Australians have a communication disorder. It is consistently shown in research that people with a communication disability report that their access to community and health services has been impacted. This is a key safety and quality issue. Communication failures (verbal or written) can result in errors, misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment, and poor care outcomes.
The project team are using a variety of methods (observation tools, interviews, surveys) to investigate interactions between healthcare workers and consumers to identify barriers and enablers to communication. Our co-design framework encompasses environmental redesign, clinical workflow, staff confidence and capacity.
Method of research or project implementation: Funded through a National Disability Insurance Agency Mainstream Capacity Building Grant, Communication for Safe Care is a collaboration between: South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD); Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD); and the University of Sydney. Using an iterative process of collaboration and co-design, the project team are working with consumers, clinicians, administration and operation managers to develop culturally safe and locally appropriate communication access solutions.
Results: Early results from the Communication Access Observation Tool indicate that staff demonstrate innate skills in communication modification; however, they require further skills in making reasonable adjustments for people with communication disability.
Conclusion: The project seeks to develop a transferrable model of practice and products that any health care service can use to assess communication accessibility and follow a process of partnering with consumers to co-design local solutions.
Biography
Molly Banks is a Speech Pathologist. Since graduating in 2012, Molly has worked with adults with communication and swallowing impairments in brain injury, stroke, and oncology fields. In 2022, Molly joined the Communication for Safe Care team as a Project Officer. She is responsible for contributing to the development, implementation, and evaluation of a program of sustainable capacity building for health care workers and health environments to effectively support people with communication disability. Her role also involves working closely with two Local Health Districts, the University of Sydney and consumers to facilitate co-design issue and solution identification.