Supported Conversation for hospital staff: A questionnaire study of self-evaluated outcome

TY - CONF

T1 - Supported Conversation for hospital staff

T2 - World Congress on Neurorehabilitation

AU - Forchhammer, Hysse B

AU - Løvholt, Annelise P.

AU - Mathiesen, Lone Lundbak

AU - Iversen, Helle Klingenberg

AU - Larsen, Line Sofie Lunde

AU - Norup, Anne

AU - Jensen, Lise Randrup

PY - 2016/5/12

Y1 - 2016/5/12

N2 - AimsIt is a challenge for health professionals to involve patients with aphasia (PWAs) in their own treatment, care and rehabilitation. Disrupted communication may also influence patient safety and lead to social isolation.In order to increase health care professionals’ ability to engage PWAs in communication and interaction, Supported Conversation for Adults with Aphasia (SCA) was adapted and implemented in a large neurological department at Rigshospitalet-Glostrup in Copenhagen.Method152 staff members representing different health professionals were assigned to one of eleven courses during a six month period. Each course had 10-12 participants and lasted 6 hours, including instruction in the SCA principles, video analysis, interdisciplinary group work, and practice sessions with PWAs. Self-assessed learning outcomes were evaluated with a brief questionnaire filled out by staff members immediately before course attendance and 3-6 months afterwards.ResultsSelf-rated knowledge of aphasia had significantly improved when assessed 3-6 months after the course and improvement was seen for all groups of health professionals. Comfort and ease in communicating with PWA and ability to solve problems in communication, also showed significant improvements across all staff groups. After the course, more time to spend with patients was perceived as the most important factor to further increase communication success with PWA.ConclusionThe results show that interdisciplinary SCA-courses successfully increase hospital staff’s confidence and self-assessed ability to communicate with PWAs.

AB - AimsIt is a challenge for health professionals to involve patients with aphasia (PWAs) in their own treatment, care and rehabilitation. Disrupted communication may also influence patient safety and lead to social isolation.In order to increase health care professionals’ ability to engage PWAs in communication and interaction, Supported Conversation for Adults with Aphasia (SCA) was adapted and implemented in a large neurological department at Rigshospitalet-Glostrup in Copenhagen.Method152 staff members representing different health professionals were assigned to one of eleven courses during a six month period. Each course had 10-12 participants and lasted 6 hours, including instruction in the SCA principles, video analysis, interdisciplinary group work, and practice sessions with PWAs. Self-assessed learning outcomes were evaluated with a brief questionnaire filled out by staff members immediately before course attendance and 3-6 months afterwards.ResultsSelf-rated knowledge of aphasia had significantly improved when assessed 3-6 months after the course and improvement was seen for all groups of health professionals. Comfort and ease in communicating with PWA and ability to solve problems in communication, also showed significant improvements across all staff groups. After the course, more time to spend with patients was perceived as the most important factor to further increase communication success with PWA.ConclusionThe results show that interdisciplinary SCA-courses successfully increase hospital staff’s confidence and self-assessed ability to communicate with PWAs.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - aphasia

KW - communication

M3 - Poster

Y2 - 10 May 2016 through 13 May 2016

ER -