MINNEAPOLIS, November 29, 2007—An increasing number of hospital emergency departments, health clinics and paramedic teams are using picture boards to facilitate communication between providers and patients with limited English proficiency, the Associated Press reports.

Initially used in Florida after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the large, double-sided boards depict various ailments such as burns, breathing trouble and pain. The boards also include diagrams of body parts that enable patients to point to the affected area and a list of languages written in English and the native tongue that allows providers to identify the type of interpreter needed.

The AP notes that the tool, which can also help providers communicate with patients who are hearing impaired or intubated, may gain wider adoption through a new federally funded program designed to help health facilities assess and meet patients' communication needs.

To date, at least nine state hospital associations have enrolled in the initiative, including those in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah and Washington. In New Jersey, for instance, the state health department is partnering with the state hospital association to distribute thousands of communication boards to hospitals, rescue squads and public health clinics.

Medical News Today report

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