A review of virtual reality technologies in the field of communication disability: implications for practice and research.

BACKGROUND: Technology devices and applications including virtual reality (VR) are increasingly used in healthcare research and practice as tools to promote health and wellbeing. However, there is limited research examining the potential for VR to enable improved communication for people with communication disability. AIMS: To review: (a) current research using VR in speech-language pathology; and (b) the ethical and safety considerations of VR research, to inform an agenda for future research applying VR in the field of speech-language pathology. MAIN CONTRIBUTION: This review reveals that there is an emergent body of literature applying VR to improve or develop physical, psychological and communication interventions. Use of non-immersive virtual environments to provide speech-language pathology assessment or intervention for people with communication disability has demonstrated positive outcomes, with emerging evidence of the transfer of functional communication skills from virtual to real-world environments. However, the use of VR technology and immersive virtual environments in communication disability practice and research introduces safety and ethical issues that must be carefully considered. CONCLUSIONS: Research employing VR is in its infancy in the field of speech-language pathology. Early evidence from other healthcare disciplines suggests that VR is an engaging means of delivering immersive and interactive training to build functional skills that can be generalized to the real world. While the introduction of new technology requires careful consideration of research ethics and patient safety, future VR communication research could proceed safely with adequate engagement of interdisciplinary teams and technology specialists. Implications for rehabilitation Immersive virtual reality may be used in rehabilitation to simulate natural environments to practice and develop communication skills. The sense of immersion that can be achieved using virtual reality may promote the generalization of skills learnt during clinical rehabilitation to real-world situations. Ethical and safety considerations, including cybersecurity and cybersickness, must be carefully monitored during all virtual reality research

Brand ambidexterity and commitment in higher education: an exploratory study

The study investigates a university’s brand ambidexterity-strategy and its effects on brand image, reputation, and commitment in higher education. A research model integrates the determinants of university-specific brand performance, and proposes that commitment towards a particular university is influenced by: (a) brand ambidexterity, that is, exploratory and exploitative orientations; and (b) student level responses, these being the students’ perceptions with brand image and reputation leading to increased commitment with the university. Findings suggest that when students choose to commit for the study of a postgraduate degree, a variety of factors influence their decision, of which the brand performance and brand image constructs play major roles; interestingly, brand reputation is less important. The framework helps university managers in designing appropriate strategies to influence students’ commitment towards the university to, for example, continue their post-graduate studies. Implications exist for broader brand management and customer management approaches that include up and cross-selling schemes

Technology and its role in rehabilitation for people with cognitive-communication disability following a traumatic brain injury (TBI)

© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Purpose: To review the literature on communication technologies in rehabilitation for people with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and: (a) determine its application to cognitive-communicative rehabilitation, and b) develop a model to guide communication technology use with people after TBI. Method: This integrative literature review of communication technology in TBI rehabilitation and cognitive-communication involved searching nine scientific databases and included 95 studies. Results: Three major types of communication technologies (assistive technology, augmentative and alternative communication technology, and information communication technology) and multiple factors relating to use of technology by or with people after TBI were categorized according to: (i) individual needs, motivations and goals; (ii) individual impairments, activities, participation and environmental factors; and (iii) technologies. While there is substantial research relating to communication technologies and cognitive rehabilitation after TBI, little relates specifically to cognitive-communication rehabilitation. Conclusions: Further investigation is needed into the experiences and views of people with TBI who use communication technologies, to provide the ‘user’ perspective and influence user-centred design. Research is necessary to investigate the training interventions that address factors fundamental for success, and any impact on communication. The proposed model provides an evidence-based framework for incorporating technology into speech pathology clinical practice and research

Content Analysis of Tweets by People with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Implications for Rehabilitation and Social Media Goals

In this Twitter research, 6874 tweets of six adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using content classification [1], inductive coding of content themes, socio-linguistic analysis, and computational analysis in KH Coder. The results reflected that participants used Twitter for: (i) supporting others, including people with TBI; (ii) discussing society and culture, popular issues, news, and personal interests; (iii) connecting with others; (iv) sharing their experiences of life after TBI; (v) knowledge via exchanging information; and (vii) advocacy. ‘Emotional expression’, and ‘connection’ were common threads running across themes. Attending to the expressions of people with TBI on Twitter provides important insights into their lived experiences and could inform the development of user-centered cognitive-communication and social participation goals for people with TBI

Distance and proximity: Research on social media connections in the field of communication disability

Social media connects people in digital spaces, affording opportunities for personal, local, and global communication. For some people with severe communication disabilities secondary to lifelong or acquired health conditions social media is a usual part of everyday communication, and may provide a welcome reprieve from the usual “temporal imperative” that “dominates face-to-face communication”. The expressions possible within social media also enable multi-modal communication using text, pictures, and videos to augment or replace face-to-face interactions, and this may be particularly useful to people who cannot rely on natural speech to communicate. Social media and virtual worlds evoke feelings of both distance and proximity between people who share online spaces, and this is reflected in the current field of research on the use of social media by people with communication disabilities

A content analysis of the consumer-facing online information about my health record: Implications for increasing knowledge and awareness to facilitate uptake and use

© The Author(s) 2017. Background: Low health literacy, low levels of positive belief and privacy and security concerns have been identified as a significant barrier to personal electronic health record uptake and use. An important tool for overcoming these barriers is the consumer-facing information which accompanies the system. My Health Record (MyHR) is the Australian national e-health record system, for which a large suite of online resources exists to facilitate consumer registration and use. This study uses a number of different measures of health resource quality to assess the MyHR online consumer-facing information and identify any gaps or areas for improvement. Objective: To analyse the quality and content of the online consumer-facing resources which support the uptake and use of MyHR. Method: Australian information resources aimed at healthcare consumers about the MyHR were included in this study. A comprehensive search using Internet search engines was conducted to locate all online consumer-facing resources about MyHR from both government and non-government sources. Readability (measured by Flesch–Kincaid grade level), year of publication/review, publishing organisation type, presentation style, linked websites, target audience, and themes were identified as important measures of health information quality, and these were recorded and reported on for each resource. Results: Eighty resources met the inclusion criteria. The mean Flesch–Kincaid grade level was 11.8. Most resources were created by Australian government sources (n = 55), and the most common target audience was the general public (n = 65). Registration (n = 51), privacy/security (n = 49), and benefits of use (n = 46) were the most common resource themes. Conclusion: The authors identified a number of gaps and areas for improvement in the provision of consumer-facing information about MyHR. Readability is too high for the general Australian population, and there are few translated resources, which means that the information provided does not cater to people with low literacy levels, communication disability, and/or difficulties in understanding written English. The target audiences for resources do not reflect priority groups that were identified during the MyHR development processes. There are also gaps in information provision about how consumers can use MyHR as a tool to meaningfully engage with health professionals and services to support their own person-centred care

A review of the impact of food design on the mealtimes of people with swallowing disability who require texture-modified food

Texture-modified foods are a common component of interventions provided to people with dysphagia (swallowing disorders) to maintain their respiratory health, nutritional health and to reduce the risk of aspiration-related illness or choking on food. However, the unsightly and unappetizing appearance of texture-modified foods may negatively impact on the mealtime experience and acceptance of texture-modified foods of persons with dysphagia. The aim of this review was to determine what is known about the impact of specific elements of food design – food struc-ture and visual appeal – on the mealtime experiences of people with dysphagia. This review of 35 studies presents evidence on how the physical characteristics of texture-modified foods for people with dysphagia can be considered during food production, formulation or service to improve their mealtime experience. Overall, the visual appeal, texture, taste, aroma, temperature, mealtime environment and mealtime assistance all impact upon mealtime experiences and should be considered carefully in the design of a person’s mealtime plan and food-related dysphagia interventions to improve their mealtime-related quality of life. Further research needs to include the views of people with dysphagia, particularly those with life-long conditions, who might require texture-modified food for an extended period over their lifespan