Hola a tod@s, my dear friends.

Today we share the news recently published in Medscape Critical Care, about an article of Surgery journal: Eye-Tracking Devices may help ICU Patients Communicate, especially those who receive mechanical ventilation and who cannot speak.



 
The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore has conducted a pilot study in 12 patients, all of whom werw capable of understanding. Through small cameras, eye movement of patients are followed by allowing them to communicate staring at images or words on a screen.

Once taught and trained to the use of this innovative technology (through sessions of 45 minutes in 5 days of training), patients felt less confusing, more satisfied and with greater confidence in communication.

At the end of the study, all patients could communicate basic needs using eye-trackers by preset images or words on the screens of computer, such as “hungry”, “thirst”, “Bath”, “nurse” and “pain”.



Half of the patients were also able to create complete sentences in the computer screen, and some could even make more complex actions such as communication in social networks.

The main drawback that the researchers found was the need for concentration of patients and that patients should achieve a maintained position.

All people who assisted at our Conference of Humanization of Intensive Care Units could see first hand this technology (click PDF Tobii-Dynavox) that we are piloting also since may in the ICU of the Hospital Universitario de Torrejón, in a project led by our nurses.

Technology belongs to Tobii , and in Spain Conasa distributes it.



We are adapting the screens to our environment and inserting new tools that we believe will be very useful for this purpose.

We will keep you informed about our progress. We certainly think that this technology is going to be a revolution in the communication for ICU patients.

Happy Friday,
Gabi