Patient Perspectives of an Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program for Stroke Survivors

Author

Anya A. Leyhe, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow
Catherine A. Off, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow
Carolyn R. Baylor, University of Washington - Seattle CampusFollow
Jenna R. Griffin, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow
Kirsten W. Murray, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow

Year of Award

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Speech-Language Pathology

Department or School/College

Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders

Committee Chair

Dr. Catherine Off, PhD, CCC-SLP

Commitee Members

Carolyn Baylor, CCC-SLP, PhD, Jenna Griffin, CCC-SLP, MS, Kirsten Murray, LPC, PhD

Keywords

patient perspectives, persons with aphasia (PWA), intensive comprehensive aphasia program (ICAP), intensity, cohort model

Subject Categories

Speech Pathology and Audiology

Abstract

Introduction: Persons with aphasia (PWA) who participate in intensive comprehensive poststroke language rehabilitation programs make a variety of significant investments. While intensive aphasia programs and intensive comprehensive aphasia programs (ICAPs) are becoming increasingly prevalent across health care settings, patient perspectives of ICAPs have not been explored. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine patient perspectives about the experience of participating in an ICAP at the University of Montana. The primary research question of this study was: “what is it like to be a PWA in an ICAP?” Methods: Researchers used an interpretive phenomenological approach to conduct nine structured interviews from PWAs who described their lived experiences in the ICAP. All interviews were audiovisually recorded and transcribed from the video recordings. Analysis involved an iterative and collaborative coding process. Transcripts were coded and themes were developed from the PWAs’ shared perspectives. Results: Three primary themes emerged from patient perspectives including: (1) experience with each of the ICAP components is generally positive, (2) we notice the impact of the ICAP on our communication, and (3) relationships with people in the ICAP are important. Discussion: Results support emerging evidence that ICAPs can be a positive experience for PWA due to the perceptible impact on communication improvement and frequent and varied opportunities to interact with others. ICAPs may be a worthwhile investment for PWA, thereby contributing to the cost-benefit utility and implementation feasibility of the service delivery model.

Recommended Citation

Leyhe, Anya A.; Off, Catherine A.; Baylor, Carolyn R.; Griffin, Jenna R.; and Murray, Kirsten W., "Patient Perspectives of an Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program for Stroke Survivors" (2019). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11331.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11331