Telepractice communication partner training for health professionals: A randomised trial

Area of Science:

• Speech and Language Therapy
• Health Professional Education
• Assistive Communication

Background:

• Aphasia presents significant communication accessibility barriers for individuals.
• Effective communication partner training (CPT) is crucial for allied health professionals (AHPs) working with people with aphasia.
• Evaluating different delivery modes of CPT can optimize accessibility and effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of face-to-face versus telepractice delivery of CPT.
• To assess improvements in AHPs' confidence and knowledge of communication strategies when interacting with people with aphasia.
• To determine if one delivery method is superior in enhancing communication skills.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 55 health professionals.
• Participants were allocated to either face-to-face or telepractice CPT.
• A mixed-methods questionnaire assessed confidence (visual analogue scale) and knowledge (open-ended questions) pre- and post-training.

Main Results:

• Both CPT groups showed significant post-intervention increases in confidence (p<0.001) and knowledge of communication strategies (p<0.001).
• No significant differences in confidence or strategy knowledge were found between the face-to-face and telepractice groups.
• Baseline confidence and knowledge levels were comparable between the two groups.

Conclusions:

• CPT effectively enhances AHPs' confidence and knowledge for communicating with people with aphasia.
• Both face-to-face and telepractice are equally effective delivery methods for CPT.
• Telepractice offers a viable alternative to face-to-face training, reducing accessibility barriers.