Spoken Discourse Assessment and Analysis in Aphasia: An International Survey of Current Practices

Abstract

Purpose: Spoken discourse analysis is commonly employed in the assessment and treatment of people living with aphasia, yet there is no standardization in assessment, analysis, or reporting procedures, thereby precluding comparison/meta-analyses of data and hindering replication of findings. An important first step is to identify current practices in acquiring, analyzing, and reporting spoken discourse information in aphasia. Thus, this study surveyed current practices, with the goal of working toward standardizing assessment, analysis, and reporting, first in research settings with subsequent implementation in clinical settings.Method: A mixed-methods (quantitative, qualitative) survey was publicized to researchers and clinicians around the globe who have collected and/or analyzed spoken discourse data in aphasia. The survey data were collected between September and November 2019.Results: Of the 201 individuals who consented to participate, 189 completed the entire survey. The majority of respondents reported barriers to utilizing discourse including transcription, coding, and analysis. The most common barrier was time (e.g., lack of time). Respondents also indicated that there was a lack of, and a need for, psychometric properties and normative data for spoken discourse use in the assessment and treatment of persons with aphasia. Quantitative and qualitative results are described in detail. Conclusions: The current survey study evaluated spoken discourse methods in aphasia across research and clinical settings. Findings from the current study will be used to guide development of process standardization in spoken discourse, and for the creation of a psychometric and normative property database.