The MedConcerns app serves as an interpreting tool for healthcare providers to use with people
with aphasia and other communication barriers when completing a medical assessment. It is a
communication aid for reporting medical symptoms, but does not diagnose or recommend any
treatment options. Please seek a doctor’s advice before making any medical decisions.
Created by a speech language pathologist (SLP) and physician team, the MedConcerns app
combines the physician’s comprehensive medical assessment with built-in evidence-based
communication techniques of the SLP. This combination enables the healthcare provider to truly
find out what is bothering their patient with aphasia.
It’s time to break down communication barriers in healthcare!
For people with aphasia and other communication barriers, it is imperative that healthcare
providers use proven communication techniques, but training is often a barrier. NO TRAINING
IS REQUIRED to use this simple tool!
WHO IS IT FOR?
Healthcare providers, caregivers, communication partners, people with aphasia or other
communication barriers, including those following stroke or brain injury, respiratory failure,
progressive neurodegenerative diseases.
WHO CAN IT HELP?
Anyone that would benefit from pointing to a symptom because they can't say it aloud - And
anyone that wants to help someone to communicate their medical concerns!
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The MedConcerns app combines nonverbal symbols, spoken output, and print to make
patient-provider communication easier and more effective.
BUILT WITH APHASIA-FRIENDLY TOOLS:
● Pictured options combined with written and spoken words
● Options representing common and comprehensive medical symptoms and concerns
● Expanded options following each selection for a detailed assessment of severity levels,
onset, and exacerbating factors!
● Confirmation pages following each selection to verify understanding or to revise a
selection
● Zoomability to more clearly see and comprehend images, especially when vision is
difficult!
● Customizability - the ability to select the number of icons per page, gender, and
language (Spanish/English), and to eliminate options on the concerns page and needs
board for an individualized selection!
● Aphasia-friendly education pages in English and Spanish
● “Needs board” to request help and express wants and needs
● “Topic