Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2025
14:32
Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
23.6K
Understanding Problems in Communication and Cognition Experienced by Uninsured Individuals Following Brain and Spinal
Juliet Haarbauer-Krupa1,2, Tracey Wallace1,3, Dajuandra Eugene1
1Georgia RSVP Clinic, Atlanta.
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
|April 29, 2025
Summary
Uninsured individuals with brain or spinal cord injuries often lack access to care. A free clinic identified communication and cognitive challenges, with writing/typing and memory being most common, highlighting a need for accessible rehabilitation services.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience and Rehabilitation
- Public Health and Healthcare Access
Background:
- Uninsured individuals with brain injury and spinal cord injury (SCI) face significant barriers to accessing essential healthcare services.
- The Georgia Rehabilitation Services Volunteer Partnership (RSVP) Clinic serves as a critical resource for this underserved population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the demographic characteristics of individuals with brain injury and SCI attending the Georgia RSVP Clinic.
- To identify and report communication and cognitive challenges experienced by these patients.
- To understand the importance of addressing these challenges within a free clinic setting.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographic data including injury type, age, race/ethnicity, education, employment, and insurance status.
- Participants reported on difficulties with conversation, reading, writing/typing, memory, attention, and decision-making.
- Data were collected at clinic admission and, in one case, at discharge to assess changes.
Main Results:
- The study included 63 participants, with 49% having acquired brain injury (ABI) and 56% having SCI; the mean age was 38, with 68% male and 75% Black or African American.
- Of 57 respondents, 40 reported at least one communication or cognitive challenge.
- Writing/typing difficulties were the most common communication complaint, while memory issues were the most frequent cognitive challenge.
Conclusions:
- The Georgia RSVP Clinic provides crucial insights into the needs of uninsured adults with brain injury and SCI.
- Clinic data highlight prevalent communication and cognitive deficits requiring targeted rehabilitation interventions.
- This free clinic addresses a critical gap in care for an 'invisible' population lacking access to resources.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
3.6K
The barriers to effective communication also include cultural barriers, semantic barriers, gender barriers, and time constraints.
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
3.6K
01:27Language and Cognition
336
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
336
01:30Barriers to Effective Communication I
8.7K
A communication barrier is any distortion or interruption during a conversation, resulting in miscommunication of the message. A good communicator should know these barriers and continuously check for the listener's understanding by obtaining feedback.
Communication barriers include the following:
Physiological barriers: They are limitations caused by a person's health condition or disability, such as hearing loss, poor eyesight, illness, or unconsciousness. An example to overcome this...
Communication barriers include the following:
Physiological barriers: They are limitations caused by a person's health condition or disability, such as hearing loss, poor eyesight, illness, or unconsciousness. An example to overcome this...
8.7K
01:25Role of Communication in the Nursing Process I: Assessment and Diagnosis
4.3K
The nursing process uses scientific reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking to guide nurses in providing patients with appropriate care. This process is a systematic approach to recognize, avoid, and treat current or potential health issues while promoting the patient's well-being.
The nursing process considers the patient's emotional and physical well-being. The process can be repeated or stopped at any point if judged essential. Assessment is the first step in the nursing...
The nursing process considers the patient's emotional and physical well-being. The process can be repeated or stopped at any point if judged essential. Assessment is the first step in the nursing...
4.3K
01:28Disorders of the Nervous Tissue
1.1K
Nervous tissue is a vital component of the human body's communication system, enabling us to perceive and respond to stimuli. However, like all other tissues, it is vulnerable to disorders and diseases that can significantly impact our neurological functioning.
Homeostatic Imbalances:
Alzheimer's disease manifests as a gradual decline in memory and cognitive abilities, attributed to the buildup of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.
Parkinson's disease arises...
Homeostatic Imbalances:
Alzheimer's disease manifests as a gradual decline in memory and cognitive abilities, attributed to the buildup of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.
Parkinson's disease arises...
1.1K