Supporting inclusivity for stroke survivors with communication needs | News

The Trust's Stroke team have showcased their work to create a more inclusive environment for stroke survivors with communication challenges at a regional research symposium.

Connie Poynter-Chard, Senior Speech and Language Therapist in the Stroke Unit at Maidstone Hospital, presented findings from the team’s Stroke Advisory Group project at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex (ARC KSS) Research Week in September.

Held at the University of Kent, the symposium was themed ‘Advancing inclusive research: equity, partnership and participation in applied research’, and brought together healthcare professionals from across Kent, Surrey and Sussex to share learning and best practice.  

Connie’s presentation highlighted the Stroke Advisory Group’s work to ensure stroke survivors with aphasia can play an active role in quality improvement projects and service development.

Aphasia (also known as dysphasia) affects around 30% of stroke survivors and can make it difficult to speak, read, write and understand language. People with aphasia are often excluded from standard patient engagement activities due to their additional communication needs, while less than a third of research studies are adapted to support their participation.

The Stroke Advisory Group comprises people who have experienced stroke care at MTW, including patients, family members and carers. Together, they share their views and discuss service developments and research opportunities, with the aim of helping to shape the Trust’s stroke services to meet the needs of those accessing care.

The group was specifically set up to enable stroke survivors with aphasia to fully take part in discussions.

Speech and language therapists attend each session, providing support for those with communication challenges and adapting conversations to meet their needs using pictures, written information and other accessible resources. This gives stroke survivors with aphasia the space and time they need to share their views on agenda items, service improvements and research projects.

Speaking after the symposium, Connie said: “I was delighted to share the findings of our project with healthcare professionals from across the region.

“By providing communication support to members of the Stroke Advisory Group with aphasia, we have empowered them to share insights that are often missed through standard patient feedback methods, enabling them to share ideas on how patients with aphasia can be better supported in acute and community settings.

“It has also given them the opportunity to express how research opportunities could be designed, so that their experiences can be taken into account when developing future services.

“I hope our findings highlight the importance of putting measures in place to give all stroke survivors a voice, enabling them to actively share their experiences to shape research and improve services for future patients.”

For more information about the Stroke Advisory Group, including details of how to join, email mtw-tr.salt-stroke@nhs.net