“It’s important, but at a cost…”: healthcare professionals and people with aphasia describe what influences use of a novel, digital communication aid

Abstract

Purpose Safe and quality healthcare requires effective patient-provider communication. Aphasia is a communication disability that leaves people at risk of ineffective communication and inadequate care. Modifying the environment is one way to support communication. A novel mobile communication aid—The Aphasia App—was designed to support hospital interactions between healthcare professionals (HCPs) and people with aphasia (PWA). This study explored HCPs’ perspectives of what influenced app use when it was introduced as a resource to support interactions.Materials and methods This study followed an observational study, together forming an interpretivist focused ethnography on use of the app. Ten HCPs and three PWA were interviewed about their experiences using the app. Data was thematically analysed using an inductive and reflexive approach.Results HCPs value communication support and want to provide person-centred care. However, a complex juggle of clinical, communicative, and emotional demands constrains interactions and app use, which are unsupported by the healthcare system.Conclusions Multi-level systems reform is needed to support HCPs to adopt communication aids and enable effective communication with people with aphasia.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Disability and Rehabilitation, 2026 · DOI ↗