Each May, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) recognizes Speech and Hearing Month, a time to raise awareness about communication disorders and the vital role of communication in health and well-being.
As healthcare professionals working in hospital settings, communication is at the heart of everything we do--obtaining accurate histories, educating patients and families, ensuring informed consent, coordinating discharge, and promoting safety. However, for many patients, communication is not easy or automatic.
Patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative disease, prolonged intubation, hearing loss, developmental disabilities, limited literacy, language differences or cognitive-communication impairments may not be able to fully understand or express information in typical ways. Without intentional communication access, these patients are at risk for poorer outcomes, increased length of stay, preventable complications and avoidable readmissions.
What is communication access?
Communication access means individuals with communication disabilities can fully participate in and benefit from health services and programs. In practical terms, this means:
- Patients can understand the information we provide.
- Patients can express their needs, symptoms, preferences and concerns.
- Patients can participate in decision-making about their care.
- Patients can safely engage in discharge planning and follow-up.
What are the benefits of ensuring communication access for all patients?
When everyone can participate in conversations about their care, their health outcomes improve and they are generally more satisfied with their care. In addition:
- Patient care becomes more equitable, and patients feel a stronger sense of dignity and autonomy.
- Patients are better able to understand instructions for any medication.
- Pain management is improved.
- Patients better understand their discharge instructions.
- Patients are less likely to be readmitted to the hospital due to misunderstanding instructions.
What patients and families can do to ensure communication with healthcare providers
While healthcare teams play a critical role, patients and families are also important partners in promoting communication access. Patients and caregivers can:
- Inform staff of communication preferences early. For example: “I hear better on my right side,” or “I need extra time to process information.”
- Bring assistive devices that you use at home with you to the hospital (items such as hearing aids, glasses, AAC devices, communication boards, and chargers).
- Request clarification when needed. For example, patients can say, “Can you explain that another way?” or “Can you write that down?”
- Use a communication notebook or app. Keeping key information, medication lists, and questions in one place can improve accuracy and participation.
- Ask for speech-language pathology consultation if needed. Families often recognize communication changes before healthcare providers.
When patients and families advocate for communication support, care becomes safer and more collaborative. By embracing communication access as a standard of care, not an exception, we promote equitable, patient-centered medicine. When patients can communicate, they can heal more effectively. And when communication barriers are removed, we improve outcomes for everyone.
If you or a loved one are experiencing speech, language, or hearing difficulties, talk with your primary care provider about a referral to an audiology team or speech-language pathologist.
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