Maizie Lovatt

ToolTalk: Enhancing Patient-Provider Relationships Through Alternative Communication Tools

Clinical interactions rely heavily upon verbal communication to allow a healthcare provider to understand a patient’s experience and consequently diagnose and treat a condition. But what happens when a patient cannot communicate their symptoms and experience verbally? The current norm is for caregivers to interpret and communicate with healthcare providers on the patient’s behalf, leading to caregiver burden and stress. This is also not a patient- centred approach, leaving patients feeling neglected and rejected by their healthcare provider. ToolTalk is a communication toolkit designed to bridge communication gaps by giving healthcare providers alternative communication strategies and tools that may be used in conjunction with verbal communication at point-of-care. We wish to enable healthcare providers to build trust and rapport with their patients through communication that embraces individualized and holistic patient-centred care.