Abstract
Japan has one of the highest proportions of elderly people in the world. This is causing problems in medical institutions, as increases in age-related hearing impairment leads to communication difficulties. Proper communication is particularly essential when explaining medications. This study examined communication with 86 patients at a hospital pharmacy using a table-top communication support system, Comuoon. Results showed improved hearing for 49% of patients. Overhearing of sensitive information was also investigated, with 94% of patients responding that they were unable to hear what the pharmacist was saying to another patient. The use of partition boards to minimize reflection of the speaker’s voice and improve Comuoon’s effectiveness was also investigated. Three types of boards were placed at the pharmacist’s counter and volume was measured with each. Results showed that the board with space between the panels reduced reflection of sound and made the sound from the Comuoon clearer.
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Fukuzaki, I., Ishigami, N., Sata, T., Nakaishi, S. (2018). Initiative for Improving Medical Instruction Communication with Elderly Hearing Impaired Patients at an Outpatient Pharmacy Counter. In: Di Bucchianico, G., Kercher, P. (eds) Advances in Design for Inclusion. AHFE 2017. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 587. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60597-5_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60597-5_13
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