The current version of AltComm is a free app that helps speech-impaired patients communicate their answers back to providers when they are asked about their pain, orientation, and general needs.
Communication barriers currently supported:
- Your patient can’t speak: intubated, trach, speech and/or voice impairments
- *[Coming soon]* Your patient speaks another language
Access methods currently supported:
- Direct select on the touch screen if your patient can reach it with their hand.
- Eye-tracking access if your patient cannot reach the screen. The patient will be able to control the device with their eye-gaze and gentle head movements. An eye-tracking device is not needed, but placing the iPad on a mount/stand is strongly recommended to keep the device still.
The app is installable on iPad Pro.
Only needs internet connection to download and update the app.
How it works:
- The provider asks their questions out loud as normal (no special formulation of the question is needed).
- The app understands what the provider is saying and shows on the screen the most relevant responses.
- The patient selects the answer that corresponds to what they want to say and the selected answer is spoken out loud by the tablet.