Communication Needs of Critical Care Patients Who Are Voiceless

Voice is crucial for communication in all healthcare settings. Evidence-based care highlights the need for clear communication. Clear communication methods must be applied when caring for special populations in order to assess pain effectively. Communication efforts also should be offered to patients who are in end-of-life care and would like to make independent decisions. A computer communication application was offered to patients in intensive care/critical care units in three hospitals in South Florida. Inclusion criteria included the age of 18 years or older, Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale between -1 and +1, ability to read and write English, and willingness to use the computer application. Exclusion criteria included inability to read and write English, agitation as defined by the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale, and any patient on infection isolation protocol. Four qualitative themes were revealed, which directly relate to two published evidence-based guidelines. These are the End of Life Care and Decision Making Evidence-Based Care Guidelines and the Pain Assessment in Special Populations Guidelines. This knowledge is important for developing effective patient-healthcare provider communication.