FAQ’s

Frequently Asked Questions

MedConcerns was developed through a collaboration between a physician skilled in medical assessments but lacking training in supported communication, and a speech-language pathologist trained in communication supports. Together, they combined their expertise to create an aphasia-friendly medical assessment tool.

MedConcerns integrates various features designed for easier communication for people with aphasia:

  • Communication Boards: Including a topic board and a needs board to facilitate expression.
  • Aphasia-Friendly Educational Pages: Simplified information to improve understanding.
  • Interactive Whiteboard: Features allow users to add pictures from the app, write, and draw to enhance explanations.
  • Zoom Feature: Users can zoom in and out for better visibility.
  • Multilingual Support: MedConcerns also includes a second language (Spanish) to improve accessibility.
  • Adjustable Icon Fields: Users can increase or decrease the number of displayed icons based on their preferences.
  • Expanded Medical Concerns: The app covers more medical topics, such as hearing, PEG, wound care, and more.

MedConcerns is currently available for all iOS devices. The Android version is in the final stages of development.

MedConcerns was developed through a collaboration between a physician skilled in medical assessments but lacking training in supported communication, and a speech-language pathologist trained in communication supports. Together, they combined their expertise to create an aphasia-friendly medical assessment tool.

MedConcerns integrates various features designed for easier communication for people with aphasia:

  • Communication Boards: Including a topic board and a needs board to facilitate expression.
  • Aphasia-Friendly Educational Pages: Simplified information to improve understanding.
  • Interactive Whiteboard: Features allow users to add pictures from the app, write, and draw to enhance explanations.
  • Zoom Feature: Users can zoom in and out for better visibility.
  • Multilingual Support: MedConcerns also includes a second language (Spanish) to improve accessibility.
  • Adjustable Icon Fields: Users can increase or decrease the number of displayed icons based on their preferences.
  • Expanded Medical Concerns: The app covers more medical topics, such as hearing, PEG, wound care, and more.

MedConcerns is currently available for all iOS devices. The Android version is in the final stages of development.

Aphasia

Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate. It often results from damage to parts of the brain responsible for language, typically due to a stroke or other brain injury.

Aphasia-friendly communication techniques involve simplifying language, using pictures or icons, speaking slowly, and ensuring the person with aphasia feels supported in expressing themselves.

Communicating with aphasia can be challenging, especially in healthcare settings. People with aphasia are at a higher risk (3x) of adverse healthcare events due to communication difficulties.

People with aphasia often face barriers that limit their participation in healthcare, leading to difficulties in receiving proper diagnoses and treatments, which impacts healthcare equality.

Healthcare professionals often face challenges when communicating with people with aphasia. They may not know how to help effectively, limit conversations, and express a desire to improve these interactions but lack adequate tools or training.

MedConcerns is an app designed to support people with aphasia in medical settings. It uses pictorial icons, recorded, and written text to facilitate better communication between healthcare providers and individuals with aphasia. It aims to improve understanding, reduce barriers, and ensure effective patient-provider communication.

Equity in healthcare means providing the necessary supports to ensure all patients can communicate effectively. With aphasia, communication barriers can be removed through appropriate supports, improving autonomy and independence for those affected.

 

To address the communication challenges, we created MedConcerns, an app with built-in communication supports. It allows users with aphasia to describe their medical concerns as effectively as someone without communication challenges, ensuring a more equitable healthcare experience.