Augmentative and Alternative Communication Awareness and Training Among Staff and Nurses in WI McKinzie Comer and Lynn Gilbertson, PhD University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) often have communication challenges and require more time to complete a communication turn. Due to communication challenges, AAC users have an increased risk for adverse events in the medical setting. The current project investigated AAC awareness and training among staff and nurses in order to determine potential opportunities for improving healthcare interactions for AAC users Introduction Participant Title   Receptionist 66% (8/12) Office Manager 8% (1/12) Registered Nurse Customer Service Tech Patient Relations Coordinator Clinic Setting Urban (> 20k) 58% (7/12) Rural (< 20k) 42% (5/12) Clinic Type Family Medicine Free Clinic 33% (4/12) ER/Hospital Majority of clinic staff surveyed were unaware of clinic policies for accommodations for AAC users. Phase 1 Majority of clinic staff surveyed did not receive formal training regarding communication interactions with AAC users. Calls were made to scheduling assistants, or related positions, in Wisconsin clinics. Twelve out of sixty-five scheduling assistants participated in the brief phone interview (18% response rate). For the one nursing program that did include training, training was delivered through: Clinical Experience Readings Training Content Included: Device Familiarity Typical AAC Communication Patterns Common Complications with AAC Users Phase 2 The programs without training we asked if training would be beneficial: Yes 2 No Digital surveys were distributed to nursing program coordinators in WI. Five out of thirty-four nursing coordinators participated (15% response rate). The majority of survey respondents indicated that AAC was not a part of the nursing training program. Conclusions References Bartlett, G., Blais, R., Tamblyn, R., Clermont, R. J., & MacGibbon, B. (2008). Impact of patient communication problems on the risk of preventable adverse events in acute care settings. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 178(12), 1555-1562. Fried- Oken, M., Howard, J., & Stewart, S. R. (1991). Feedback on AAC intervention from adults who are temporarily unable to speak. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 7(1), 43-50. Hemsley, B., Georgiou, A., Hill, S., Rollo, M., Steel, J., & Balandin, S. (2016). An integrative review of patient safety in studies on the care and safety of patients with communication disabilities in hospital. Patient education and counseling, 99(4), 501-511. Zubow, L., & Hurtig, R. (2013). A demographic study of AAC/AT needs in hospitalized patients. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 22(2), 79-90. Phone interviews and survey responses suggested that the majority of scheduling assistants and nursing programs did not train specifically on AAC. An opportunity exists to implement AAC training for scheduling assistants and nursing students. AAC training may facilitate more effective communication between AAC users and healthcare providers, therefore reducing the amount of communication related health complications and improving patient comprehension and compliance.