Conducting a Virtual Study With Special Considerations for Working With Persons With Aphasia

Area of Science:

• Speech and Language Pathology
• Telehealth Research
• Human Behavior Research

Background:

• Telehealth adoption is increasing in clinical and research settings.
• Remote assessment is crucial for spoken language research, especially for persons with aphasia (PWA).
• Existing methodologies require adaptation for virtual, multitimepoint studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail a virtual, multitimepoint assessment methodology for spoken language research.
• To assess lifestyle, physiological, cognitive, and linguistic factors remotely.
• To provide a practical solution for virtual research with persons with aphasia (PWA).

Main Methods:

• A test-retest virtual paradigm was used with adults without brain damage (N=24) and PWA (N=25).
• Procedures covered pre-assessment (recruitment, scheduling), assessment (aphasia-friendly consent, fidelity), and post-assessment (data storage, quality checks).
• Data collection occurred approximately 10 days apart.

Main Results:

• Preliminary data show high participant retention and data acquisition rates.
• The virtual methodology proved feasible for assessing PWA.
• Common technological issues were identified and practical solutions were provided.

Conclusions:

• A practical methodology for multitimepoint virtual studies, including PWA, was established.
• This approach enhances telehealth research in clinical populations.
• Future telemethodology evaluation is vital for study diversification and larger sample enrollment.