Improving Effectiveness of Decisional Capacity Evaluations for Individuals with Aphasia 1943

Clear communication between patients and their healthcare team is critical in the patient’s hospital experience. The use of supportive communication techniques can improve the healthcare team’s ability to provide safe, quality care for better patient outcomes when working with patients with aphasia. Often, in the hospital setting, decisional capacity determination is required. Most validated tools for these evaluations include open-ended questions to demonstrate understanding of abstract concepts related to medical care. Responding to such questions can be difficult for individuals who know more than they can say. This presentation will share the results of a project aimed at improving the validity of decisional capacity evaluations for patients with aphasia in a freestanding rehabilitation hospital. The project included creation of supplementary visual aids, training of healthcare providers, simulated evaluations with volunteers with aphasia, and focus groups. Outcomes of pre-and post-survey results assessing healthcare team member comfort levels will also be shared.