Identifying communication difficulty and context-specific communication supports for patient-provider communication...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Communication difficulty is prevalent in sub-acute rehabilitation settings.
• Identifying patients with communication challenges is crucial for effective care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of communication difficulty among sub-acute rehabilitation inpatients.
• To identify communication supports that enhance communicative success for these patients.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort mixed-methods study was conducted.
• Nurses used the Inpatient Functional Communication Interview, Screening Questionnaire (IFCI-SQ) for initial screening.
• Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) interviewed patients using the Inpatient Functional Communication Interview (IFCI) and trialled communication supports.

Main Results:

• Nurses identified communication difficulty in 64% (45/70) of screened patients.
• 15 patients were interviewed by SLPs.
• Communication supports improved communication for all interviewed patients during the SLP assessment.

Conclusions:

• A significant number of sub-acute rehabilitation inpatients face communication challenges.
• Effective communication supports can significantly facilitate communicative success.
• Findings can inform the development of communication partner training programs.