- Previously, we used a lot of body language. Sometimes the patient has called a relative over the phone to interpret - but then we have not really known what has been said, says Cecilia Brüggemann, midwife at US in Linköping.
The digital tool has been adapted for medical terms in healthcare and can today translate in 54 different languages.
- It's about patient safety, if you pull it to the top. That we make sure that we get our information out to the patient, says midwife Liselotte Åsenhed.
"We saw a great need in healthcare"One of the founders of the tool is Abhishek Jacob at Worldish. He came with his colleague Naveen Sasidharan from India to Sweden in 2014. They quickly discovered a need to be able to communicate better in healthcare.
- We were students at Linköping University and we had some language problems in Swedish for example and it was a problem to integrate into Swedish society because of language barriers. We felt it could be great if we had a solution, so we started developing the translation tool, ”says Abhishek Jacob.
When the language is not enough today, interpreters are also used - usually by telephone. But access is limited and it can be difficult to get an interpreter in certain languages. In some situations, other aids can be more flexible.
- We book an interpreter for a quarter or half an hour, then we have no interpreter after that, says Cecilia Brüggemann.
- Then something happens and I can't inform the patient - I can't just ignore it. I have to look after the mother and the child's safety. If then someone would come in and pull a suction clock, and the woman understands nothing ... well it feels inhuman, she continues.
Quick answersWith the new tool, midwives can understand and get quick answers.
- Now we can continuously communicate with the woman. We can translate, ask questions and provide information. It's very important for how the woman can feel afterwards, says midwife Cecilia Brüggemann.