Doctor’s Cardmedic flashcards ease patient fears

Dr Rachael Grimaldi said she had been on maternity leave but was "desperate to help"

A doctor on maternity leave has created a series of digital flashcards to help NHS workers better communicate with patients while wearing PPE.

Rachael Grimaldi said she heard a "terrified" Covid-19 patient had been unable to understand what staff were saying through their masks and visors.

Desperate to help out her colleagues while off work she created digital cards for patients to read or hear.

The cards cover topics from breathing and comfort to end of life care.

Dr Grimaldi, 36, who works as an anaesthetist at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS, said: "What started out as me wondering if healthcare staff could use a pen and paper to communicate with patients, within 72 hours, turned into an online A-Z index of digital flashcards."

The cards are free to download and are being used by NHS trusts and hospitals in 50 countries.

• A SIMPLE GUIDE: How do I protect myself?

• AVOIDING CONTACT: The rules on self-isolation and exercise

• HOPE AND LOSS: Your coronavirus stories

• LOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your area

• TESTING: Can I get tested for coronavirus?

Available on an app, they can be displayed on a phone, tablet or computer and there is a "read aloud" option for those who are blind or too unwell to read.

The flashcards are available in 10 languages, but work is under way to provide the Cardmedic service in 30 languages.

After the Department for International Trade provided Dr Grimaldi with an adviser and business connections, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said the product was "truly innovative".

She said it could "change the future of the healthcare industry and be widely applied across the world long after the pandemic".

The flashcards are being used around the world

Work is under way to provide the digital cards in 30 languages