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Making a Voice Heard: Evaluation of a New Service Delivery in Augmentative and Alternative Communication Through Qualitative Interviews with People Without Natural Speech

Overview
Journal BMC Res Notes
Publisher Biomed Central
Specialties Biology
General Medicine
Date 2023 Mar 29
PMID 36991499
Authors
Anna Zinkevich
Sarah Anna Katharina Uthoff
Jens Boenisch
Stefanie Kalen Sachse
Helge Schnack
Carolin Garbe
Tobias Bernasconi
Lena Ansmann
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Objective: Due to communication barriers, people without natural speech who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are rarely interviewed about their healthcare needs, expectations, and experiences. This qualitative interview study aims to investigate how AAC users evaluate a new service delivery (nSD) in AAC care in Germany.

Results: We conducted 8 semi-structured qualitative interviews with 8 AAC users. The results of the performed qualitative content analysis show a positive evaluation of the nSD among AAC users. Contextual factors were identified that seem to hinder the achievement of the intervention goals. These include caregivers' prejudice and inexperience with AAC and an unfavourable environment in which AAC is used.

Citing Articles

Process evaluation of a complex intervention in augmentative and alternative communication care in Germany: a mixed methods study.

Uthoff S, Zinkevich A, Boenisch J, Sachse S, Bernasconi T, Ansmann L BMC Health Serv Res. 2025; 25(1):373.

PMID: 40082880 PMC: 11905436. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-025-12452-y.

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