Innovation projects

Health Talk

Health Talk: Making communication clearer: - a resource for primary care practitioners

We want to help primary care professionals and people with communication difficulties to understand one another better.

We are developing a communication resource pack to support conversations between patients and health care staff. The pack will include written materials for patients and for primary care professionals. It is also likely to contain resources such as pictures and diagrams. Five primary care practices will try out the resource pack with us. We will then seek funds to provide all primary care professionals in the UK with a resource pack.

The Health Talk resource

Connect is inviting partners within primary care to collaborate in piloting the Health Talk communication resource. Health Talk is a two-year trial, funded by the Department of Health Section 64 Scheme. The trial will test a resource pack designed to support efficient and effective management of consultations where patients have communication difficulties. We will refine the resource pack in response to clinicians' recommendations, and the revised version will be distributed to primary care practices throughout the UK.

What is the Health Talk Resource?

Health Talk is a simple, paper-based resource pack, for everyday use in clinics and surgeries, which supports clear and direct consultation with patients with communication difficulties.

Who is the Health Talk resource for?

Communication difficulties can arise as a result of many factors. No matter what the cause or nature of their difficulty, patients with communication issues struggle to understand what is said or written (getting the message in) and to express themselves through speech or writing (getting the message out). Health Talk may be useful for patients with:

• aphasia, following stroke or other neurological condition
• learning difficulties
• mental health issues
• drug or alcohol issues
• little or no English.

Health Talk is designed to be used by:

• GPs
• practice nurses
• physiotherapists
• occupational therapists
• dieticians
• chiropodists
• counsellors
• health visitors
• receptionists

If you would like to find out more about getting involved in the project contact Becky Moss on 07870 925591 or email becky.e.moss@googlemail.com

Contact person: Becky Moss

Who is involved: Becky Moss, Susie Parr, Carole Pound and Lysa Schwartz

Date: 09 March 2007

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