Dados do Resumo

Título

Accessibility in a Cancer Center: Braille Adaptation of the Patient Safety Manual

Introdução

Effective communication between healthcare professionals and patients plays a crucial role in maintaining cancer treatments and understanding medical diagnoses and procedures. At the A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, communication is used to connect professionals, patients and families. However, accessibility for patients with visual impairment is a challenge, as institutional manuals are not adapted for reading by these individuals. The Brazilian Law for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities guarantees accessibility, but visual impairment represents a specific challenge, affecting communication and adherence to treatment. Ensuring that all patients, including those with visual impairments, understand manuals and health-related information is essential to maintaining the quality of care for the public. The Patient Safety Manual, a tool currently used at the Cancer Center A.C. Camargo, provides essential information for patients, companions and professionals. Therefore, allowing everyone to understand the Manual is crucial to maintaining the quality of service to the public.

Objetivo

The general objective of the study was to promote the informational inclusion of visually impaired individuals at the Cancer Center A.C. Camargo, and the specific objective was to report the adaptation to Braille of the Patient Safety Manual, used at the Cancer Center A.C. Camargo, for the informational inclusion of the visually impaired.

Métodos

This study was developed in two consecutive and interconnected phases: carrying out an integrative literature review that selected 12 articles that discuss the communication barriers that visually impaired people face when accessing health services, and the preparation of a Patient Safety Manual Adapted to Braille, ensuring full information accessibility for visually impaired patients and preserving the original content.

Resultados

Through the integrative literature review research, it was possible to identify that the main communication barriers encountered by people with visual impairments were: (i) lack of professional training, (ii) lack of accessible materials, and (iii) neglect of respect and autonomy for the visually impaired. To adapt the Patient Safety Manual to Braille, quotations were obtained from different printers specializing in Braille. A civil society organization dedicated to the cause of visual impairment was selected to handle the printing process. The adapted Manual was printed on A4 paper and spiral-bound.

Conclusões

Therefore, it is clear that the application of the product obtained in this work will promote the communicational accessibility of patients, employees and companions with some level of visual impairment. The Patient Safety Manual Adapted to Braille can be used as a model for future replications, extending accessibility to other segments of the Institution. Finally, we highlight the relevance of the study in identifying and overcoming the barriers faced by visually impaired people in health services, highlighting the need for initiatives that promote accessibility and inclusion, contributing to the satisfaction and well-being of this portion of the population.

Financiador do resumo

The research was independently funded by the researchers.

Palavras Chave

accessibility; Visually Impaired Persons; Health Services