Communication Connect: Improving long term communication and mental health outcomes following stroke and brain injury

Project Member(s): Kneebone, I., Ryan, B., Power, E.

Funding or Partner Organisation: National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC - Ideas Grants)
National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC - Ideas Grants)

Start year: 2021

Summary: Over 250,000 Australians live with acquired communication disabilities resulting from stroke and traumatic brain injury, compromising every aspect of daily life, and significantly impacting mental health, employment, social participation, and family functioning. People with these acquired communication disabilities have inadequate services to address their specialised needs, and this inequity in care leads to poorer and more costly healthcare outcomes. Robust evidence for speech pathology and psychology services has not been integrated into accessible and sustainable models of community care for people living with acquired communication disability. Existing communication technologies have not been adequately harnessed to improve service quality and access. Without well-coordinated rehabilitation transition and community support programs, this population is at high risk of social, emotional, and physical isolation, and vulnerable to costly but avoidable medical and psychosocial complications. Our solution is Communication Connect: we will co-design and test the acceptability, feasibility, preliminary efficacy and costs of a program of community and self-managed care, based on multiple evidence-based components, and enhanced by latest communication and m-health technologies. A sophisticated data analytics platform will underpin patient safety and program improvements. We will examine whether Communication Connect: 1) extends communication outcomes achieved during rehabilitation; 2) improves transition from hospital to community living; 3) prevents development of mood disorders; 4) reduces social isolation; 5) improves quality of life; 6) reduces carer burden; and 7) reduces hospital-based healthcare use.

Publications:

Girgis, M, Paparo, J, Roberts, L & Kneebone, I 2024, 'How Do Children with Intellectual Disabilities Regulate Their Emotions? The Views of Teachers', Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 391-412.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

FOR Codes: Clinical psychology, Speech pathology, Evaluation of health and support services, Provision of health and support services

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.