A Usability Study of Internet-Based Therapy for Naming Deficits in Aphasia

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the usability of delivering the Phonological Components Analysis treatment for anomia (Leonard, Rochon, & Laird, 2008) remotely via the Internet to individuals with chronic poststroke aphasia. A secondary aim was to probe the experiences and satisfaction of clinicians in administering treatment at a distance. Method: Six individuals with mild–moderate aphasia and 2 trained clinicians participated in this usability study. Participants and clinicians underwent approximately 6 hr of treatment under observation by an independent observer. The usability characteristics of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction were assessed. Results: Individuals with aphasia used the Internet-based Phonological Components Analysis therapy successfully, demonstrating independence and very few errors in completing online tasks. Overall, participant satisfaction was high, despite occasional difficulties with technical aspects of the system. Clinicians found the application easy to use but raised concerns about the participant–clinician interaction, perceiving rapport-building and communicating to be more difficult online than face-to-face. Conclusions: It is important to consider usability and the clinician's perspective in developing telepractice applications in speech-language pathology. Future directions include assessing the efficacy of remote treatment and collecting a larger sample of clinician data.This research was supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery