People with aphasia often receive less speech and language therapy than they need after leaving hospital. In line with UK and European clinical guidelines, technology-based rehabilitation is increasingly recommended to improve access to personalised therapy. However, speech and language therapists currently lack clear guidance on which therapy apps are most suitable for different individuals. The overall aim of the OptimA programme is to improve personalised, app-based aphasia rehabilitation and develop evidence-based digital support for long-term self-management.
The programme began with OptimA-1, which explored the current landscape of aphasia therapy apps through a systematic review, app mapping, and a national survey of SLTs. Building on these findings, OptimA-2 is currently developing a clinical framework to guide app selection for people with aphasia. This framework will then support OptimA-3, which will develop an AI-supported clinical decision-supporting aphasia app tool. Next, we will establish a Hub within the Aphasia Research Clinic to evaluate the effectiveness and social value of app-supported rehabilitation and supported self-management for people with aphasia. This will help improve access to personalised, evidence-based aphasia rehabilitation and support the development of future digital self-management services for people with aphasia.
Investigators: Dr Valia Kladouchou; Prof Katerina Hilari; Jaycie Bohan; Dr Ciara Shiggins; Morganie Naidoo
