The CHAMPION software project

Abstract

A visit to hospital is traumatic for both a patient with disabilities and their family members, especially when the patient has no or limited functional speech [1]. For adults with Severe Speech and Physical Impairments (SSPI) being hospitalized presents particular challenges as hospital staff are often unaware of how the adult with SSPI communicates and what their basic care needs are. The CHAMPION project aimed to develop a piece of software which would allow an adult with SSPI to input multimedia information on their care needs and on the "person behind the patient". It was hoped that the system could be used by the person with SSPI as independently as possible. The aim would then be for the information to be accessed in hospital. The first stage of the process has now been completed with the input and output software developed using User Centred Design techniques. What is now required is an investigation into the efficacy of the software in the real life hospital setting.