Faculty Advisor(s)

Chitrali R. Mamlekar

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Abstract

Aphasia is an acquired language disorder that results from damage to the language areas of the brain, typically located within the left hemisphere. Individuals with aphasia often experience significant challenges while communicating with other individuals, including physicians and healthcare professionals. These barriers can ultimately lead to negative impacts on the quality of care, patient experiences, and overall health outcomes. The lack of consistent use of communication strategies as well as a general misunderstanding of aphasia by medical staff, further contributes to communication breakdowns. As a result, medical assessments can be misinterpreted, treatments may be delayed, and patients may feel less involved in their own healthcare decisions. In turn, these barriers to communication may also compromise the patient’s adherence to medical advice, increase the risk of medical errors, and diminish overall satisfaction with care. This study seeks to explore and identify the specific barriers and facilitators that influence communication between patients with aphasia and physicians and physician assistants. Through the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), literature review was conducted to contextualize existing research. One physician assistant provided consultation on interview design. A mock interview with a practicing physician assistant was then completed, transcribed, and coded using NVivo to establish preliminary themes and assess transcription reliability. Eighteen codes emerged from the analysis. Future phases of this study will expand interviews with practicing physicians and physician assistants to deepen understanding of these dynamics. The ultimate goal is to improving healthcare communication and outcomes for individuals living with aphasia.

Publication Date

2025

Document Type

Poster

Department

Speech-Language Pathology

Keywords

People with aphasia, physician assistant, physician, patient-provider communication

Disciplines

Communication Sciences and Disorders | Medicine and Health Sciences | Speech and Hearing Science | Speech Pathology and Audiology

Exploring Physicians/Physician Assistants Perspectives on the Challenges and Communication Approaches when Communicating with People with Aphasia

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