“We all have coping and communication problems”. Experiences of stroke survivors living with aphasia and graduate student clinicians who participated in a telehealth interprofessional psychoeducation and wellness group

ABSTRACT

Background

Aphasia negatively impacts functional daily communicative participation, participation in life’s domestic, educational, vocational and recreational roles, psychosocial well-being and social relationships, and overall quality of life, thereby increasing the need for holistic, comprehensive care. Interprofessional collaboration has the potential to increase comprehensive patient care while also improving education and training for student clinical providers. The Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program (ICAP) is a growing service delivery model that infuses comprehensive care and principles of neuroplasticity, making it an ideal context for interprofessional collaboration.

Aims

The purpose of this pilot project was to explore the perspectives of stroke survivors living with aphasia and interprofessional graduate student clinical providers who participated in a telehealth interprofessional psychoeducation and wellness group that was developed by healthcare providers from speech–language pathology and counseling to support aphasia recovery and living well with aphasia.

Methods

A qualitative phenomenological research design was applied to explore the experiences of five stroke survivors living with aphasia, one graduate student clinical provider from speech-language pathology, and one graduate student clinical provider from counseling who participated in an Interprofessional Aphasia Community Group, that took place during the Summer 2020 University of Montana Telehealth ICAP. Content analysis procedures were applied to verbatim transcripts obtained during weekly focus groups with the stroke survivors living with aphasia and student clinical provider reflections.

Results

Themes that emerged from weekly focus group transcripts suggest that stroke survivors with aphasia wanted less information during each group session, further simplification of information presented during the group sessions, and increased opportunities for discussion, communication practice, and time to connect with one another. Themes that emerged from graduate student reflections suggest that graduate student clinical providers were positively impacted by the interprofessional collaboration, improving skills, knowledge, and attitudes of their own and each other’s disciplines. These themes also identified methods for improving future interprofessional collaboration in the context of an ICAP.

Conclusions

This project documents what is believed to be the first telehealth delivered Interprofessional Aphasia Community Group in the context of an ICAP. Qualitative exploration of this interprofessional collaboration highlights the perspectives, voices, and experiences of stroke survivors with aphasia and graduate student clinical providers. These experiences offer insight into how collaborative care can increasingly improve participant experiences in the context of an ICAP.

KEYWORDS:

• Aphasia
• telehealth
• interprofessional
• wellness
• psychoeducation
• Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program (ICAP)

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the families living with aphasia who participated in the Summer 2020 University of Montana Telehealth Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program – thank you for allowing us to be a part of your rehabilitation journey. We would also like to thank the student research assistants who supported this project during data analysis (i.e., coding and thematic development): Dawson Jakober, Amanda Sallay, Kortney Sims, and Claire Buehler. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the University of Montana College of Health’s Interprofessional Education Research Seed Grant for supporting this project.

Disclosure statement

Harley Kincheloe, Master’s graduate student in Speech-Language Pathology in the School of Speech, Language, Hearing, & Occupational Sciences, College of Health, at the University of Montana. Financial disclosure: Funded by the 2020-2021 Inaugural Interprofessional Education Research Seed Grant, College of Health, University of Montana, Grant Index #MPH018. Nonfinancial disclosure: None to report.

Catherine Off, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Associate Professor and Interim Chair, School of Speech, Language, Hearing, & Occupational Sciences, College of Health, University of Montana. Nonfinancial disclosure: Director of the Big Sky Aphasia Program and clinical supervisor for the 2020 UMT Telehealth ICAP. Financial disclosure: Salary provided by University of Montana; Principle Investigator (PI) for the awarded 2020–2021 Inaugural Interprofessional Education Research Seed Grant, College of Health, University of Montana, Grant Index #MPH018 (all funding, $5000, was used to support the first and third authors, graduate student clinical providers).

Molly Murphy, Doctoral student in the Department of Counseling, College of Education at the University of Montana. Financial disclosure: Funded by the 2020–2021 Inaugural Interprofessional Education Research Seed Grant, College of Health, University of Montana, Grant Index#MPH018. Nonfinancial disclosure: None to report.

Jenna Griffin-Musick, M.S., CCC-SLP, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Speech, Language, Hearing, & Occupational Sciences, College of Health, University of Montana. Nonfinancial disclosure: Director of the Big Sky Aphasia Program and clinical supervisor for the 2020 UMT Telehealth ICAP. Financial disclosure: Salary provided by University of Montana.

Kirsten Murray, Ph.D., LPC, Professor, Department of Counseling, College of Education, University of Montana. Nonfinancial disclosure: Family counselor for the Big Sky Aphasia Program. Financial disclosure: Salary provided by University of Montana; Co-PI for the awarded 2020–2021 Inaugural Interprofessional Education Research Seed Grant, College of Health, University of Montana, Grant Index #MPH018 (all funding, $5000, was used to support the first and third authors, graduate student clinical providers).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Montana, College of Health Interprofessional Seed Grant under Grant [#MPH018].