Abstract
Background: Stroke survivors with aphasia who participate in intensive post-acute aphasia rehabilitation programs make a variety of significant investments. As the number of Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programs (ICAPs) increase across healthcare settings worldwide, patient perspectives of this innovative service delivery become increasingly important. Stakeholder perspectives can provide meaningful contributions to intervention implementation, growth, and sustainability. Aims: The purpose of this pilot study was to qualitatively explore patient perspectives about the experience of participating in a university-based ICAP implemented by graduate student clinicians. Methods & Procedures: Researchers used an interpretive phenomenological approach to analyze nine structured interviews from five stroke survivors with aphasia who described their lived experiences during an ICAP. Thematic analysis involved an iterative and collaborative coding process. Transcripts were coded and themes were developed from the patients’ shared perspectives. Trustworthiness was maximized through acknowledgement of the researchers’ positionality and bias, variation in the sample, member checks, and sustained relationships between stakeholders. Outcomes & Results: Three primary themes emerged from patient interviews: (1) the ICAP is hard work; (2) the impact of the ICAP on communication is noticeable, and (3) relationships “make” the ICAP. Conclusions: Themes support emerging evidence that ICAPs implemented by graduate student clinicians may be a worthwhile investment for many stroke survivors with aphasia, thereby contributing to the cost-benefit utility and implementation feasibility of this service delivery model. Stroke survivors with aphasia reported mixed levels of acceptability pertaining to the perceptible impact on communication improvement, and the challenging, rewarding, frequent, and varied opportunities to interact with others.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 22-49 |
| Number of pages | 28 |
| Journal | Aphasiology |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2024 |
Funding
This study was supported by the 2018-2019 University of Montana Small Grants Program (Index M25483 UGP2018). Contributors: Harley Kincheloe and Alyssa Kozlowski (Undergraduate Research Assistants), thank you for your insight and commitment to the transcription process. Thank you to the stroke survivors with aphasia who participated in the interviews and to their family care partners who supported them during the ICAP. This work was supported by the University of Montana Grant Program, Small Grants, 2018-2019 Index# M25483 This study was supported by the 2018-2019 University of Montana Small Grants Program (Index M25483 UGP2018). Contributors: Harley Kincheloe and Alyssa Kozlowski (Undergraduate Research Assistants), thank you for your insight and commitment to the transcription process. Thank you to the stroke survivors with aphasia who participated in the interviews and to their family care partners who supported them during the ICAP.
| Funder number |
|---|
| M25483 UGP2018 |
Keywords
- Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program (ICAP)
- aphasia rehabilitation
- cohort model
- patient and public involvement (PPI)
- patient perspectives