MedConcerns – Symptom AAC

When communication is challenging, MedConcerns makes it easier.

MedConcerns was created by a speech therapist and a physician for people living with aphasia, motor speech disorders, dementia, or other conditions that affect communication; people who often have something urgent to say and no easy way to say it. It helps them express what they're experiencing, like pain, emotions, and fatigue, even when speaking or writing is difficult. For family members and caregivers, it means finally having a tool that helps bridge that gap together. Available in English and Spanish. Easily switch between the two in Settings.

How it works

MedConcerns guides individuals through communicating their concerns one step at a time, using proven communication support strategies, including simplified text, clear icons, and accessible response options. Spoken audio plays with each selection to reinforce meaning. The app automatically asks follow-up questions to gather important details, like symptoms, context, onset, and changes from baseline, verifying each response along the way. At the end, each response tapped and confirmed is summarized on one screen, ensuring shared understanding between the individual and those supporting them. The app's approach to communication support and mental health screening is grounded in evidence-based methods.

What individuals can express

Concerns and symptoms such as:

- Pain: where it is, how it feels, how bad it is, when it happens, and whether it's new or a change.

- Emotions and mental health: including a mood check, emotion identification, and a mental health screener designed for people who can't use standard questionnaires.

- Fatigue and sleep

- Appetite and swallowing

- Breathing and coughing

- Medication

- Vision and hearing

- Bowel and bladder

- Illness

- Wounds and incisions

- Trach and feeding tube

- And more…

Additional tools

- Needs Board — quickly express basic wants, needs, and comfort concerns

- Topic Board — broader communication with providers and caregivers beyond symptoms

- Yes/No Board — simple, clear responses to support conversation and decision-making

- Whiteboard — free-form space for writing, typing, drawing, adding icons from the app, or uploading images from your own device

- Education pages — built-in guidance about aphasia, apraxia, and communication strategies as well as mental health resources for people with aphasia.

Customizable for every user

MedConcerns is easy to customize. A few simple changes in settings can make it more individualized and accessible:

- Choose the number of icons shown on each screen

- Remove irrelevant symptom choices

- Select gender of body image and voice options

- Switch between English and Spanish

- Add your own custom icons to the Topic and Needs boards

A note on mental health

People with aphasia experience depression and anxiety at high rates. It can be challenging to express these symptoms and feelings. MedConcerns' expanded mental health section was built to make it easier to communicate on this vital topic. It includes a mood scale, emotion identification, and a structured screener using simple present-tense questions with visual support. The screener draws on current evidence for best practices in mental health screening for people with aphasia and communication disorders. Mental health resources, including information on community support and strategies, are available from the dropdown menu.

Built from real experience

MedConcerns was created by a speech therapist and physician who saw the problem firsthand, and knew that the right tools could make a difference.

For clinics, hospitals, or teams

Need access for multiple staff or shared devices? MedConcerns Pro offers facility plans with multi-user licensing, onboarding support, and implementation guidance. Contact us at info@medconcerns.com or visit medconcerns.com to learn more.