“Living in a foreign country”: experiences of staff–patient communication in inpatient stroke settings for people with post-stroke aphasia and those supporting them

Abstract

Purpose: Staff–patient communication in in-patient stroke settings is viewed as challenging for stroke survivors with aphasia and those supporting them. This study sought to explore these experiences from the perspectives of stroke survivors, their carers and healthcare professionals.

Methods: A qualitative study where stroke survivors with aphasia, carers and healthcare professionals were interviewed (audio-recorded) one-to-one or via focus group. Stroke survivors were at least 6 months post-stroke and had a self-reported mild to moderate level of post-stroke aphasia. Transcripts for each group were analysed separately using inductive thematic analysis; followed by an integrative analysis.

Results: Six stroke survivors with aphasia, 10 carers, and six healthcare professionals were recruited. Three overarching themes were identified: “being in a foreign country”, “finding a voice”, and “you’re just a number”. A dynamic model of communication is proposed offering a framework for understanding the relationships between “the context”, “the people” and “the interactions”.

Conclusions: Communication was viewed as important but challenging by all three groups. To maximise staff–patient interactions in the future, attention needs to be paid to: the psychosocial needs of stroke survivors and their carers, ongoing staff training and support for the healthcare professionals supporting them, and the provision of an aphasia-friendly and a communicatively stimulating ward environment.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Effective staff–patient communication is viewed as fundamental to stroke rehabilitation but challenging by patients with aphasia, their carers and the healthcare professionals supporting them.

• To maximise staff–patient communication three key areas must be considered and targeted: those involved/affected by staff–patient communication (“the people”), factors within the “hospital context”, and “the interactions” between “the people”.

• Tailoring and being consistent with communication and care is paramount to avoid repeated negative communication encounters which can result in disengagement from care.

• Stroke rehabilitation which currently focuses on the physical fails to address the psychological/emotional and social needs of the patients and those supporting them.

Keywords:

• Staff–patient communication
• communication difficulties
• stroke
• healthcare professional
• carer
• aphasia
• qualitative

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to greatly thank all of the participants for sharing their experiences and therefore enabling important voices to be heard and those who supported recruitment for the study. We would also like to thank the support of the lecturing team at Staffordshire University, in particular Dr Amy Burton for her invaluable feedback and guidance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.