ABSTRACT
Efficient patient–provider communication is an integral aspect of the healthcare setting. Within this context, difficulties arise when medical conditions are compounded by a condition of speech disability, restricting the patients’ abilities to communicate their needs and concerns. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods have been utilised across the medical setting to help address this problem. Nonetheless, challenges regarding efficient patient–provider communication are still existent, given the variety of AAC tools and the range of conditions related to the disabilities encountered by healthcare professionals. In this chapter, the benefits and challenges associated with the utilisation of current AAC technologies are presented and discussed in the healthcare context. Ways in which available and forthcoming AAC technologies can enable healthcare providers to optimise communication are illustrated.
