New app to help frontline ambulance staff interact with patients who have additional communication needs

The Welsh Ambulance Service has launched an app to help frontline staff to interact with patients who have additional communication needs.

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.

It is available to download both for staff and members of the public on their mobile phones and tablet devices, and displays images and supporting text to find out important information about the patient and what has happened if they have had an accident.

It can also identify if they use a specific communication method or the language they speak.

Pioneered by the Trust’s Patient Experience and Community Involvement Team, the app is based on a small booklet which was developed and issued by the service in 2013.

Claire Bevan, the Trust’s 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.

For iOS search your app store for ‘PreHospApp’, for Android search ‘pre hospital app’ and on Blackberry search for ‘Pre-Hospital Communication App’.