ICU-Talk, a communication aid for intubated intensive care patients

Abstract

A Multi-disciplinary project staffed by personnel from nursing, computer science and speech and language therapy developed a computer based communication aid called ICU-Talk. This device has been designed specifically for intubated patients in hospital intensive care units. The ICU-Talk device was trialled with real patients. This paper reports the challenges faced when developing a device for this patient group and environment. A description of the methods used to produce ICU-Talk and results from the trials will be presented.