A multinational online survey of the goal setting practice of rehabilitation staff with stroke survivors with aphasia

Brown, S. E. , Scobbie, L., Worrall, L. and Brady, M. C. (2023) A multinational online survey of the goal setting practice of rehabilitation staff with stroke survivors with aphasia. Aphasiology, 37(3), pp. 479-503. (doi: 10.1080/02687038.2022.2031861)

Abstract

Purpose: Goal setting is an essential rehabilitation activity. However, multidisciplinary rehabilitation staff goal-setting practice with stroke survivors with aphasia and associated training needs are not well understood. Methods: We designed, piloted, and conducted a survey of stroke rehabilitation staff in the UK, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Canada, Ireland. Analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests, and qualitative content analysis. Results: We received 251 responses from 118 SLTs and 133 non-SLTs. Most reported setting goals with most or all people with aphasia (78%, 197/251); 57% (138/244) rarely or never provided an accessible copy of goals. All disciplines reported significantly less confidence setting goals with people with aphasia than without aphasia (p = 0.012, n = 119). Barriers to goal setting included the communication impairment (especially severe aphasia) and poor insight. Staff described feeling ill-equipped to support people with aphasia in goal setting; only 27% (67/251) had accessed training to do so. Conclusions: Rehabilitation staff described involving stroke survivors with aphasia in goal setting but lacked confidence doing so and receive inadequate training and support. Training should target multidisciplinary staff confidence and communication support strategies and resources so that people with aphasia and families are supported as goal-setting partners.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: EB was supported by a Glasgow Caledonian University PhD studentship and Foundation for Women Graduates Foundation grants. LS is supported by a Stroke Association Clinical Lectureship award (TSA LECT 2016/02). The Nursing, Midwifery, and Allied Health Professions Research Unit and MCB are supported by the Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Government Health, and Social Care Directorate, UK.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Brown, Dr Eleanor
• Authors: Brown, S. E., Scobbie, L., Worrall, L., and Brady, M. C.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > MRC/CSO SPHSU
• Journal Name: Aphasiology
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 0268-7038
• ISSN (Online): 1464-5041
• Published Online: 07 February 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Author(s)
• First Published: First published in Aphasiology 37(3):479-503
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license