PICTOMED does not want to replace professional interpretation services at all, but to engage healthcare providers further in the dialogue, incite constructive discussions about interpreter use and encourage political processes and positions in favour of health equity and the refugee cause (e.g. assumption of costs for interpreter services by health assurances).
Publications
- 2020 November: Publication in a Swiss Public Health Journal "Schweizerische Ärztezeitung" (German)
- 2023 June: Poster presentation at SGP congress (Swiss board of paediatricians)
| saez_2020_19183.pdf |
PICTOMED APP vALIDATION STUDY (PIMAV)
We’ve developed a communication tool based on pictures that allows healthcare professionals (mostly doctors) to communicate with patients who do not share a common language or have limited language proficiency in the local language.
Objective of PIMAV phase I: validation of the tool regarding taking a patient's history.
Objective of PIMAV phase II: validation of an extended app version including diagnostical and therapeutic procedures.
Methods: After an encounter, the healthcare professional (user and study participant) should complete a survey about the experience with our tool. We’re interested to know in which encounters and for which patients our application is used.
We do not collect patient data. But we would like to know the patient’s origin or native language, gender and age group. Also, we’d like to know which algorithm or which functions were used (e.g. abdominal pathway from body map).
Finally, we would like to have feedback: e.g. how helpful were the images? Were there any symptoms missing? Were other resources for language assistance used before or after? Was there a better interaction and communication? Were there any misunderstandings?
Results and Publication: The data should be analysed in order to primarily validate and improve our communication tool. Some of the information (encrypted and anonymous) may also be used for general publications about language barriers in healthcare to raise awareness.
Timeline: Each study participant should complete the surveys (ideally after each encounter and use of the application) for one year.
Benefit: Study participants earn a generous discount for their next subscription.
Objective of PIMAV phase I: validation of the tool regarding taking a patient's history.
Objective of PIMAV phase II: validation of an extended app version including diagnostical and therapeutic procedures.
Methods: After an encounter, the healthcare professional (user and study participant) should complete a survey about the experience with our tool. We’re interested to know in which encounters and for which patients our application is used.
We do not collect patient data. But we would like to know the patient’s origin or native language, gender and age group. Also, we’d like to know which algorithm or which functions were used (e.g. abdominal pathway from body map).
Finally, we would like to have feedback: e.g. how helpful were the images? Were there any symptoms missing? Were other resources for language assistance used before or after? Was there a better interaction and communication? Were there any misunderstandings?
Results and Publication: The data should be analysed in order to primarily validate and improve our communication tool. Some of the information (encrypted and anonymous) may also be used for general publications about language barriers in healthcare to raise awareness.
Timeline: Each study participant should complete the surveys (ideally after each encounter and use of the application) for one year.
Benefit: Study participants earn a generous discount for their next subscription.
Research projects
- 2021: Language barriers in doctor-patient-communication: Interpreter-assignments to minors in Switzerland.
- In the pipeline for 2024: Validation of MLP (Medical language proficiency)-Score.
- In the further future 2025: Multicenter study to validate our communication tool (PIMAV phase II)
get in touch
Support Association Pictomed
Langmattweg 5
8053 Zürich
Langmattweg 5
8053 Zürich
