Communication is crucial to understanding what needs to be done in emergency situations. However, for individuals with speech disorders or for non-native English speakers, there can be barriers between first responders and those seeking help.
University of Iowa Clinical Professor Krista Davidson in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders has worked to develop an app that solves these issues.
The app, RescueVoice, was released earlier in 2024 and is a speech-generating app engineered specifically for first responders and medical personnel to use with individuals who have limited speech or who are unable to speak because of a medical event, according to the app’s landing page. The app is not currently designed for translation, but Davidson hopes to add tools for multilingual speakers in the future.
Davidson described the importance of alternative and augmentative communication techniques in critical scenarios for those who are unable to communicate in typical manners.
“RescueVoice came from first responders,” Davidson said. “We gave them low-tech communication methods like paper boards, and they asked, ‘Is there an app for that?’ There’s lots of communication apps, but there isn’t one dedicated to first responders or emergency situations.”
The app features symbols that can indicate where an individual is feeling pain, and to what degree. It also has icons to indicate symptoms and side effects, including vocabulary that first responders find useful including “numb,” “bleeding,” and “sweating.” The app includes a keyboard to describe pain if verbal communication is not an option, as well as a page for allergies and preexisting medical conditions to better describe the background of a patient.
Davidson worked closely with the Custom Solutions and Integration team at the UI to develop RescueVoice specifically for emergency situations. Davidson said they wanted to create this tool to bridge the gap between verbally impaired individuals and first responders.
“Situations when first responders are involved are typically high-stakes or emotional events,” Davidson said. “Communication is really essential so they can solve the right problems, and the person can get the help they need.”
Philip Combiths, assistant professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders department, specializes in diversity of language to provide better clinical services to all individuals with communication disorders.
“Being able to communicate fully and as comfortably as possible is crucial for patients in a care or medical setting,” Combiths said. “Language assistance or augmentative and alternative communication methods like RescueVoice are some of the best tools we have available to facilitate communication when there is a communication barrier between patient and care provider.”
An app like RescueVoice is designed to help individuals who are unable to speak or have limited speaking abilities in emergency situations. It’s crucial to provide that understanding to give a level of autonomy in their care to people who may not have that otherwise, Combiths explains.
“An app like RescueVoice provides medical professionals and first responders with a quick way to communicate absolutely critical information when time is of the utmost importance, even when spoken communication is difficult or not readily available,” Combiths said. “This could be due to a speech or language impairment or an ongoing medical emergency, such as a stroke or injury affecting the ability to use speech.”
Rich Reasner, a lieutenant at the North Liberty Fire Department, is passionate about RescueVoice’s ability to assist first responders in a new, high-tech manner that is efficient and available.
“We end up with a lot of non-native English speakers, and I was really impressed with the ability of that app to just kind of bridge the gap that we face pretty regularly,” Reasner said. “Sometimes we luck out and have someone who speaks the language, but it’s not always like that, so having an app like [RescueVoice] is really beneficial.
Reasner’s work as a lieutenant puts him in a line of duty that is inconsistent and unpredictable. Barriers such as communication inhibit his ability to do his job to the fullest extent.
“It’s a lot of problem-solving. If it’s an individual with special needs, usually their caretaker is with them. If it’s someone who might be hearing impaired, we’ve used pen and paper. If you have non-native English speakers, it can be really challenging,” Reasner said.
Davidson described her process in creating the app, which involved interviews with first responders and careful planning. The app contains both tap-to-talk and text-to-speech capabilities.
Vocabulary related to symptoms, pain, body parts, allergies, medications, people, time, and places is included based on feedback from first responders and individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication, according to the app.
“I just want to get RescueVoice in the hands of more people,” Davidson said. “I want them to be able to let people know their pain and feelings and that vital health information. Even just the simple yes and no so that maybe some of those communication breakdowns can be avoided.”
The app is available for purchase at $9.99 in the Apple and Google Play stores and can be downloaded onto iPad and Android tablets. The funds that come from purchases go back into the app’s development based on community feedback, Davidson said.
“I am enthusiastic about what the RescueVoice app can do to help anyone communicate with a first responder in an emergency,” Combiths said. “The app is not a translation device, but because it uses universally understood visual symbols in addition to text, I can appreciate how it would facilitate communication for individuals with speech or language impairments as well as individuals who simply use languages that are different from the first responder’s language.”