EASTERN Health has launched a series of cue cards aimed at bridging the communication divide between health care professionals and patients with English language and cognitive difficulties.
The cards have taken four years to develop and are available in 33 languages.
They are the result of an extensive consultative process with a number of organisations.
They are available free in an electronic version via Eastern Health’s website.
and They provide simple words with images on cards , the community after existing communication aids were found to be inadequate and ineffective.
“It has taken four years to develop this system of pictograms and translations, combining simple words with images on cards, to bridge the communication divide between health care professionals, community and residential professionals, and patients with limited language skills, vision impairment or cognitive impairment,” explained Lena Dimopoulos of Eastern Health’s Transcultural Services Unit.
“We are proud to be able to provide our patients, families, clinicians and allied health professionals with better communication than ever before, and equally proud to offer cue cards to other organisations so they can benefit from this simple system,” Ms Dimopoulos said.
