Effectiveness of low Tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) on ease of communication among patients with Endotracheal tube admitted in critical care units of tertiary care hospital, Mangaluru.

BACKGROUND: Many patients are kept on endo tracheal tube for the treatment and in post anesthesia room waiting for recovery. These are also conscious and oriented, wanted to communicate about their discomfort about the tube, pain in surgical site or Intra Venous catheter, wanted to be in comfortable position, anxious about the recovery etc. Researcher also found the care givers and the patients are failing to communicate effectively which creates more frustration. There are high Tech AAC and low Tech AAC available to solve this communication issues. Low Tech AAC involves a simple board with pictures and words mostly used in critical care units and what patients experiences while on ventilator.

AIM: The current study aims to assess the effectiveness of ow Tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) on ease of communication among patients with Endotracheal tube admitted in critical care units.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A Quasi-experimental research design will be used in the study. The target population consists of all oriented and conscious patients who are on endotracheal intubation with GCS score of 11 and Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) score of 1, 2 in the critical care units of tertiary care hospital, Mangaluru. The subjects will be selected based on the non-probability purposive sampling technique and calculated sample size 15/group. The informed consent will be obtained from the patients bystanders. The pre-test and post-test will be conducted by reading the questionnaire loudly and asking them to show the answers typed bold. Interventional group will be communicated through low Tech AAC and control group adhere to standard routine communication practices.