Remove communication barriers between emergency healthcare workers and people with a communication disability with Best Care training and resources.
The Best Care program equips emergency healthcare staff with tools, training and resources to support patients who have a communication disability, leading to better health outcomes.
From the first call to the emergency room, Best Care empowers patients to express their needs, fostering trust and respect during critical moments.
Danielle North, Ambulance Victoria Executive Director Regional Operations“These tools will eliminate the communication barriers with patients and empower our people to establish a preferred communication method, help them explain what happened, and communicate them through a typical paramedic assessment.”
Created in collaboration with paramedics and people with a lived experience of disability, Best Care ensures that resources and training can be translated to practical real-world applications.
For more information, or to find out how to implement communication accessibility in your organisation, contact us today for a free consultation.
On this page:
What are the Best Care Resources?
The Best Care resources include:
- Communication book: Featuring pictures, symbols, and key phrases, the book can be used in healthcare settings to help patients communicate their health care needs including what is wrong and for healthcare workers to explain the treatment process.
- Instructional videos: Teaching healthcare workers and communication partners how to effectively use the available communication tools and strategies.
- eLearning modules: Covering essential topics such as ‘Seeing the person, not the disability,’ ‘Communication access and inclusion,’ and ‘Communication tools and strategies,’ these modules help healthcare workers better understand and engage with patients with disabilities.
- Communication passport: This document provides critical information about a patient’s needs, including communication preferences, medical history, and mobility requirements, helping healthcare workers quickly understand and respond to individual needs.
Contact us to find out how we can work with you to implement these resources in your organisation.
Take advantage of our Free Downloadable Resources
- Easy English pamphlets
These materials are aimed at educating people with communication difficulties ahead of time, preparing them for the best possible experience.
Click to download: "How to get help for a health emergency"
Click to download: “What happens when an ambulance comes to help you?”
Click to download: “How to stay safe in hot weather”
- Key word sign poster
Developed by Key Word Sign Australia, this poster includes key emergency-related signs to support communication between patients and healthcare workers.
Click to download: Key Word Sign Emergency Signs Poster
Why Best Care Matters
With one in seven Australians experiencing a communication difficulty at some point in their lives, it is common for paramedics and emergency staff to attend to cases where it is difficult to establish effective communication with their patient.
Without the right tools and training for emergency healthcare staff, there can be barriers in communication during an emergency, impacting the quality of care and health outcomes.
Best Care builds the confidence and capability of healthcare teams while empowering patients to express their needs, fostering trust and respect during emergency situations.
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About the Best Care Project
The project was launched in 2024, after a five-year collaboration between Scope and its valued partners:
- Ambulance Victoria
- Latrobe Regional Health
- St Vincent’s Health Melbourne
- Two Way Street
- South Australia Ambulance
In 2017 and 2018, before the commencement of the project, Ambulance Victoria attended 31,253 patients with disability, equating to over 40 patients every day.
However, many paramedics reported a lack of confidence when attending to people with disability, as their training did not traditionally include effective communication with this group.
The Best Care initiative directly addresses this gap, ensuring that healthcare professionals, from call-takers through to emergency room staff, have the tools they need to confidently and effectively communicate with patients with a communication disability.
Scope’s “Best Care for People with Communication Disabilities” is made possible by an Information Linkages and Capacity Building Project funded by the Commonwealth of Australia, represented by the Department of Social Services.
Kate MacRae, CEO of Scope“Best Care is about creating a healthcare environment where people with communication disability can be heard, understood, and respected.”
Contact us to get started with Best Care
Want to know more about the project, or how to implement Best Care in your organisation? Fill in the form for a free consultation.