None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to compare Skype-based intervention with in-person intervention involving a conversation skills training program for people with traumatic brain injury and their family, friends or carers. We will determine whether there is any difference in outcomes between Skype-based and in-person conversation skills training.
Interventions
Ten session, manualised communication skills program (TBIconneCT) involving education and video-based feedback to identify and develop use of positive conversation skills by the person with TBI and positive support skills by the communication partner (family member, friend, carer). Participants allocated to the telehealth group will receive all training sessions via Skype video sessions. Sessions are 1.5 hour duration and conducted weekly over ten weeks. Sessions are conducted by a speech pathol
Ten session, manualised communication skills program (TBIconneCT) involving education and video-based feedback to identify and develop use of positive conversation skills by the person with TBI and positive support skills by the communication partner (family member, friend, carer). Participants allocated to the telehealth group will receive all training sessions via Skype video sessions. Sessions are 1.5 hour duration and conducted weekly over ten weeks. Sessions are conducted by a speech pathologist. Intervention adherence will be monitored via a log of completed sessions, and an audit of a sample of sessions to check adherence to a checklist of intervention components.
Sponsors
The University of Sydney
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
16 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Participants with TBI must: (1) Have a moderate-severe TBI at least 6 months previously defined as a score on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 9-12 (moderate) 8 or less (severe) and/or a period of Post Traumatic Amnesia (PTA) of 1-24 hours (moderate) more than 24 hours (severe), (2) Be discharged or partially discharged from hospital, and able to spend time at home on a regular basis (3) Have significant social communication skills deficits as identified by brain injury staff (or for self-referred participants, as observed by two independent speech pathologists using Prutting’s pragmatic protocol) (4) Have a communication partner with whom they interact regularly (5) Have a computer with internet connection at their home (6) Have adequate English proficiency for completing assessment tasks without the aid of an interpreter. Communication partners must: (1) Interact with the person with TBI on a regular basis (2) Have adequate English proficiency for completing assessment tasks without the aid of an interpreter
Exclusion criteria
Participants with TBI must not have: (a) aphasia of a severity which prevents any participation in conversation (b) severe amnesia which would prevent participants from providing informed consent, as determined by the local neuropsychologist (c) dysarthria of a severity which would significantly affect intelligibility to an unfamiliar listener (d) drug or alcohol addiction, or active psychosis (e) co-occurring degenerative neurological disorder Communication partners must not have: (a) Sustained a brain injury (b) Have a known psychiatric history
Outcome results
None listed