TeleCHAT

TeleCHAT is a comprehensive high-dose aphasia therapy program delivered straight to a person’s home via telerehabilitation/over the internet. TeleCHAT has been translated from the in-person CHAT program developed by The University of Queensland. The in-person CHAT program is currently delivered at the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS), Herston, Brisbane as part of the clinical speech pathology service. TeleCHAT uses videoconferencing software to enable people to participate in this comprehensive and high-dose therapy from home.  

TeleCHAT components align with the CHAT program and includes: 

• Formal comprehensive assessment. Currently this assessment needs to be done in-person at a person’s home/location by a research speech pathologist.   

• Goal setting done in-person at the person’s home/location. 

• Training in how to access TeleCHAT using videoconferencing is provided in-person at the person’s home. 

• Patient and family education about stroke and aphasia via telerehabilitation 

• 50 hours of language therapy, within 8 weeks, tailored to individual therapy goals via telerehabilitation 

• Individual therapy sessions, computer-based therapy sessions and group therapy sessions via telerehabilitation 

Research outcomes to date

From 2020-2023, TeleCHAT has been researched through two studies.  The first project looked at the feasibility, usability and acceptability of delivering the therapy program into a person’s home via telerehabilitation. This study involved 12 people with aphasia and 11 support people (family and friends). The second study evaluated the clinical outcomes for 24 people with aphasia. Many did not have a lot of experience with computers, but with training and guidance were able to do TeleCHAT. Some people commented that they liked doing TeleCHAT instead of therapy in-person. People had improvements in their language and reported being more confident when communicating and having an improved quality of life. 

Next steps

The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia has provided funding to continue research into TeleCHAT in 2024. Specifically, the philanthropic partnership with the Tavistock Trust for Aphasia will evaluate the feasibility of establishing a comprehensive telerehabilitation service for aphasia (dubbed TeleCHAT) across the state of Queensland (Australia). The program will address a major unmet need in the vast state where 38% of the population live in remote and rural areas. The ultimate goal is to develop a program that can be available world-wide. 

Contact

For more information about TeleCHAT please contact:

Dr Jade Dignam

Email: j.dignam@uq.edu.au or  

Phone: 3365 7595