Telepractice communication partner training for health professionals: A randomised trial.

Purpose: Communication partner training can be beneficial in reducing accessibility barriers for people with aphasia The aim of the present study was to determine whether face-to-face or telepractice (real time video-teleconference system) delivery of a communication partner training program was associated with greater improvements in confidence and knowledge of effective communication strategies among allied health professionals. Method: 55 health professionals were randomly allocated to receive face-to-face (n = 27) or telepractice (n = 28) communication partner training. All participants completed their allocated training. A customised mixed-methods self-completed questionnaire was used before and after receiving communication partner training for participants to rate their confidence when communicating with people with aphasia using a 100mm visual analogue scale and answer an open-ended question about knowledge of communication strategies.

Results: At baseline, there was no significant differences between groups in confidence ratings (median (IQR), face-to-face 48mm (32mm, 54mm), telepractice 43mm (29mm, 56mm)) or number of strategies identified (face-to-face median=4, IQR 3-5; telepractice median=3, IQR 2-4). At the post-intervention assessment, confidence was significantly higher (p<0.001) for both groups (median (IQR), face-to-face 95mm (90mm, 97mm), telepractice 93mm (88mm, 97mm)), but no significant effect of group allocation was present. Similarly, more communication strategies (p<0.001) were identified (face-to-face median=9, IQR 8-12; telepractice median=9, IQR 8-11) but no significant effect of group allocation was present.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated health professionals confidence for communicating with people with aphasia and knowledge of strategies to facilitate communication improved immediately after receiving communication partner training via either face-to-face or telepractice, but neither approach was superior.