Johnson JM
University of Calgary, Qatar
Title: Interprofessional team collaboration and decision-making for patients who are aphasic: What does it look like?
Biography
Biography: Johnson JM
Abstract
Statement of the problem An implication for an individual with impaired communication skills is an assumption by health care team members regarding the capacity to make decisions. This assumption might lead to a restriction in the patient’s participation in the decision-making process. Two primary impairments that might affect the ability to participate in decision-making are aphasia and cognitive deficits. Although decision-making capacity might be present in persons with aphasia, there appears to be limitations and a person with aphasia’s ability to participate in the process within the healthcare team is impaired. Medical decision-making is complex and requires a reciprocal dialogue. Health care team members must be familiar with and open to communicating with an individual in a manner appropriate to the adult’s skills and abilities, including alternate methods of communication to complement written words. Methodology and Theoretical orientation This work began with a review of the literature and was built upon using a constructionist framework. Conclusion and Significance This narrative review will attempt to outline the difficulties with participating in decision-making when a person is unable to verbally provide consent. It will also describe ways to assess executive function in the capacity to make decisions, highlight the importance of family in the decision-making process, look at ways to encourage decision-making when there is no family present and lastly, elucidate the necessity for a continued interprofessional collaborative approach to care for patients who have aphasia.