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Can new tools help ICU patients who cannot speak?

NCT ID NCT07796035

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of British Columbia Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 31, 2026 · Last updated Sep 01, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study explores the communication challenges faced by healthcare providers when caring for non-verbal patients in intensive care, such as those with spinal cord injury or a tracheostomy. Researchers will interview nurses and speech-language pathologists, then survey a larger group to identify the most important communication needs and the limits of current methods. The goal is to inform the development of practical communication tools for acute care settings.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If successful, this study could guide the design of better communication tools for non-verbal patients in intensive care, potentially reducing distress and improving care.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage needs assessment with a small sample, so findings may not apply to all settings. The study does not test any communication tool directly.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 100 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Care givers to the non-verbal patients with communication barrier

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * be a healthcare provider such as physicians, registered nurses, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, or physiotherapists; * work in ICU, spine, neurosurgical, or related acute care inpatient settings; * have experience caring for patients with impaired verbal communication, including patients with tracheostomy, mechanical ventilation, or spinal cord injury; and * be able to provide informed consent. A small subset of family caregivers may also be included if they have direct experience supporting communication for patients with impaired verbal communication in these settings. Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals not directly involved in the care of patients with impaired verbal communication in the relevant clinical settings * Trainees who are not yet independently practicing, unless they are participating in an independent clinical role * Family caregivers without direct experience supporting communication needs in the acute care setting

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

spinal cord injury

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Communication barriers

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Vancouver General Hospital

    Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1M9, Canada

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