Poursadeghi Zahra, Miri Kheizaran, Hajiabadi Fatemeh, Mazloum Seyyed Reza, Malekzadeh Javad, Niazi Fereshteh
Student in Critical Care Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.
Digit Health. 2024 Dec 9;10:20552076241299639. doi: 10.1177/20552076241299639. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.
BACKGROUND & AIM: The use of mechanical ventilation devices as a supportive respiratory system for hospitalized patients in intensive care units is often accompanied by the inability of alert patients to establish verbal communication. This study aims to determine the impact of patient communication software on facilitating communication for mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit.
This clinical trial was conducted with two groups, each comprising 60 alert, mechanically ventilated patients hospitalized in medical universities in Mashhad, from December 2022 to January 2023. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. In the intervention group, communication with the patient was established using specially designed software, while in the control group, conventional methods were used to identify patient needs. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and the Ease of Communication Scale. SPSS software (version 20) was utilized for data analysis, employing chi-square, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon and paired t-tests. Cohen's was also used to evaluate the magnitude of the effect size.
The composition of the groups, including gender and marital status, was comparable, as was their baseline demographic and clinical characteristics (age, gender, education level, marital status, underlying diseases, airway type, hospital stay length, sedative medication, and mechanical ventilation duration), with no significant differences found ( > 0.05). Before the intervention, there was no difference in communication ease scores between the groups. Post-intervention, the intervention group showed significantly improved communication ease scores compared to the control group ( < 0.001) The Wilcoxon test results indicated a significant reduction in the average communication ease score after the intervention within both the intervention and control groups.
Software designed to assist communication for patients on mechanical ventilation with artificial airways could enhance their ability to communicate their needs more effectively, offering an alternative to methods such as lip-reading, writing, alphabet boards and communication boards.
在重症监护病房中，使用机械通气设备作为住院患者的支持性呼吸系统时，清醒患者往往无法进行言语交流。本研究旨在确定患者沟通软件对促进重症监护病房中机械通气患者沟通的影响。
本临床试验分为两组，每组60名于2022年12月至2023年1月在马什哈德医科大学住院的清醒、机械通气患者。患者被随机分配到干预组和对照组。干预组使用专门设计的软件与患者进行沟通，而对照组则使用传统方法来识别患者需求。数据收集工具包括人口统计学问卷和沟通难易程度量表。使用SPSS软件（版本20）进行数据分析，采用卡方检验、独立t检验、曼-惠特尼检验、威尔科克森检验和配对t检验。还使用科恩效应量来评估效应大小。
两组的组成，包括性别和婚姻状况，以及他们的基线人口统计学和临床特征（年龄、性别、教育水平、婚姻状况、基础疾病、气道类型、住院时间、镇静药物和机械通气持续时间）具有可比性，未发现显著差异（>0.05）。干预前两组之间的沟通难易程度得分没有差异。干预后，干预组的沟通难易程度得分与对照组相比有显著提高（<0.001）。威尔科克森检验结果表明，干预后干预组和对照组的平均沟通难易程度得分均显著降低。
为使用人工气道进行机械通气的患者设计的沟通软件可以提高他们更有效地表达需求的能力，为唇读、书写、字母板和沟通板等方法提供了一种替代方案。
