Efficacy of aphasia group conversation treatment via telepractice on language and social measures

Abstract

Conversation treatment for persons with aphasia (PwA) can lead to significant changes on measures of language impairment and quality of life. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in greater use of telepractice treatment delivery; however little evidence exists regarding efficacy of a telepractice conversation group. The present study investigated the effects of telepractice group conversation treatment on standardized measures of language function and social oriented/patient-reported outcomes, as compared to in-person, and no-treatment control data. Eight PwA were recruited for inclusion in a telepractice conversation group treatment using a delayed, within-subjects design. Participants were compared to data taken from a larger RCT conducted previously (seven in-person participants and eight no-treatment control group participants). Results of evaluations conducted at baseline, pre-treatment, and post-treatment intervals revealed significant improvement from pre to post treatment on repetition and picture description tasks for the telepractice group. Compared to in-person group and no-treatment group data, results suggest superior benefits for in-person delivery of conversation group treatment compared to telepractice delivery. However, both in-person and telepractice treatment are superior to a no-treatment paradigm. Overall, results prompt further research regarding telepractice group conversation treatment for PwA.