A computer-based aid for communication between patients with limited English and their clinicians, using symbols and digitised speech.

Background: Problems of communication are an important barrier on the pathway to healthcare for patients with limited or no ability in the majority language of the country in which they live. Solutions involving interpreters who have to be booked in advance, or using unqualified friends or family members to translate, are highly unsatisfactory.

Aim: This paper describes a computer-based approach to alleviating the situation.

The development and evaluation of alternative communication strategies to facilitate interactions with Somali refugees in primary care: a preliminary study.

The work reported in this paper forms part of a larger project to develop and evaluate alternative forms of communication to facilitate cross-cultural consultations in primary care. As a case study and proof-of-concept, work was conducted with Somali refugees who tend to experience significant communication difficulties in primary care consultations. The alternative communication methods developed in this study originate from the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).