None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
We aim to identify complexities in the scale-up, spread and sustainability of convers-ABI-lity, an online conversation skills training program to provide scalable communication training to adults with acquired brain injury (ABI) and familiar communication partners such as family, partners and friends. We therefore seek to identify; 1. Who uses convers-ABI-lity and what are their characteristics? 2. In what geographical locations and healthcare and social contexts is convers-ABI-lity used? 3. Do users complete convers-ABI-lity as intended? Why/not? 4. How usable is the technology for those completing convers-ABI-lity? 5. What barriers, facilitators and workarounds do users experience when completing convers-ABI-lity? 6. How satisfied with convers-ABI-lity are the users? 7. What is the cost of delivering convers-ABI-lity? The direct evaluation of the implementation of convers-ABI-lity by end-users aims to ensure the intervention reaches and meets their needs in a feasible, scalable, sustainable and acceptable manner.
Interventions
convers-ABI-lity is a web-based conversation skills training program for a communication dyad including a person who has had an acquired brain injury (ABI) and a familiar communication partner (e.g. family, friend, partner).
convers-ABI-lity has been specifically designed for this study, adapted from a previous program called TBIconneCT. The convers-ABI-lity program is only being tested in this study, and is not publicly available at this stage.
The program will include 10 x 1 hour weekly vid
convers-ABI-lity is a web-based conversation skills training program for a communication dyad including a person who has had an acquired brain injury (ABI) and a familiar communication partner (e.g. family, friend, partner). convers-ABI-lity has been specifically designed for this study, adapted from a previous program called TBIconneCT. The convers-ABI-lity program is only being tested in this study, and is not publicly available at this stage. The program will include 10 x 1 hour weekly video call sessions with a speech-language pathologist (10 hours total) and 10 x 0.5 hour weekly self-guided eLearning activities (5 hours total). Areas covered by the program include: -how TBI affects communication -roles in conversation -effective speaking and listening skills -working together well in conversations -keeping conversations going -asking positive questions Training content is delivered via weekly eLearning activities, presented via short videos, text and interactive activities, then followed up that week via a video call with the speech-language pathologist. It can be completed from the participants' own home. Speech-language pathologists delivering convers-ABI-lity will receive training from the research team to administer the intervention. This will include initial one hour training over Zoom video conferencing software to introduce the program, independent time (estimated two hours) to try using the platform, and one hour of follow-up training over Zoom to discuss and problem-solve use. Use of convers-ABI-lity will be monitored through online analytics as follows: 1. Number of unique users 2. Which pages are viewed and how often 3. Answers submitted/recorded 4. Bookings/cancellations and start/finish of telehealth appointments 5. Date/version accessed User experience of convers-ABI-lity will also be monitored through exit surveys for all users and interviews with 5 administering speech-language pathologists, 10 people with brain injury and their 10 communication partners.
Sponsors
Melissa Miao
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Primary purpose
Treatment
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Participants with acquired brain injury (ABI) must: 1. Have a definite moderate-severe ABI at least six months previously based on the Mayo classification scheme (at least one of the following: loss of consciousness of 30 minutes or more, post-traumatic amnesia of 24 hours of more, worst Glasgow Coma Scale total score in the first 24 hours < 13, or evidence of a significant brain imaging abnormality). People with a non-traumatic brain injury (restricted specifically to the aetiologies of stroke, hypoxic injury, brain tumour, poisoning, infection) will also be eligible to participate 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 (either self-identified or identified by a usual communication partner) 4. Have insight into their social communication skills deficits 5. Be aged between 18 and 70 years 6. Have adequate English proficiency for completing assessment tasks without the aid of an interpreter 7. Functional reading skills in English 8. Have a communication partner with whom they interact regularly who is willing to participate in co-design sessions and/or the training program Family members or friends or paid support workers participating in the study must: 1. Regularly interact with a person with ABI (i.e., at least once a week). This person with ABI should be at least six months post-injury. 2. Have known the person with ABI for at least three months 3. Have not sustained a severe ABI 4. Be aged 18 years or over Speech-language pathologists participating in the study must: 1. Be currently employed in a clinical speech-language pathology role 2. with people with ABI forming at least 20% of the caseload
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria for participants with ABI are: 1. Aphasia of a severity which prevents any participation in conversation 2. Severe amnesia which would prevent participants from providing informed consent, as evaluated using the UBACC (University of California, San Diego Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent; D. V. Jeste et al., “A new brief instrument for assessing decisional capacity for clinical research,” Arch Gen Psychiatry, vol. 64, no. 8, pp. 966–974, Aug. 2007, doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.64.8.966). 3. Dysarthria of a severity which significantly reduces intelligibility during conversation, as evaluated by the researcher 4. Drug or alcohol addiction which would prevent participants from reliably participating in sessions 5. Active psychosis 6. Co-occurring degenerative neurological disorder, more than one episode of moderate-severe brain injury or premorbid intellectual disability.
Outcome results
None listed