This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link:http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/15003/ Link to published version: http://dx.doi.org/10. 1080/09638288.2016.1194899 Copyright and reuse: City Research Online aims to make research outputs of City, University of London available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the author(s) and/or copyright holders. URLs from City Research Online may be freely distributed and linked to. City Research Online: http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/ publications@city.ac.uk City Research OnlineAbstract Purpose: To identify important treatment outcomes from the perspective of people with aphasia and their families using the ICF as a frame of reference. Methods:The nominal group technique was used with people with aphasia and their family members in seven countries to identify and rank important treatment outcomes from aphasia rehabilitation. People with aphasia identified outcomes for themselves; and family members identified outcomes for themselves and for the person with aphasia. Outcomes were analysed using qualitative content analysis and ICF linking.Results: A total of 39 people with aphasia and 29 family members participated in one of 16 nominal groups. Inductive qualitative content analysis revealed the following six themes: (1) Improved communication; (2) Increased life participation; (3) Changed attitudes through increased awareness and education about aphasia; (4) Recovered normality; (5) Improved physical and emotional well-being; and (6) Improved health (and support) services.Prioritised outcomes for both participant groups linked to all ICF components; primarily Activity/Participation (39%) and Body Functions (36%) for people with aphasia, and Activity/Participation (49%) and Environmental Factors (28%) for family members.Outcomes prioritised by family members relating to the person with aphasia, primarily linked to Body Functions (60%). Conclusions:People with aphasia and their families identified treatment outcomes which span all components of the ICF. This has implications for research outcome measurement and clinical service provision which currently focuses on the measurement of Body Function outcomes. The wide range of desired outcomes generated by both people with aphasia and their family members, highlights the importance of collaborative goal setting within a familycentred approach to rehabilitation. These results will be combined with other stakeholder perspectives to establish a core outcome set for aphasia treatment research. Achieving outcomes that are important to consumers is a key factor in maximising the value of healthcare (Porter & Lee, 2013). This conceptualisation of value reflects a broader shift in health care towards person-centred services which seek to meet individual needs in holistic ways (World Health Organization., 2007). In aphasia rehabilitation, the value of measuring consumer-important outcomes has steadily gained momentum in ...

Background Aphasia is a communication disorder affecting participation. Although there are evidence-based practice recommendations about participation and aphasia rehabilitation, it may be challenging for speech-language pathologists to ensure that rehabilitation activities have an impact on the person’s participation, in part due to time limitations. Participation remains limited after rehabilitation for persons who have aphasia. Communities of practice (CoPs) are a collaborative knowledge transfer strategy that can be used for evidence-based practice implementation. The aim of this study was to describe the components and evaluate a CoP for speech-language pathologists about participation and aphasia rehabilitation. Methods Logic analysis was used to determine the adequacy between resources, implemented activities, outputs and short-term outcomes of the CoP. Qualitative and quantitative descriptive data were collected through observation and participants’ logbooks. Outputs and outcomes of the CoP were revealed through thematic analysis and interpretation of descriptive statistics. Results Resources including CoP design and educational aims, human and material resources were combined to create various web-based, online and offline activities. Participants invested more time per week than expected in the CoP, shared and created clinical tools and appreciated the array of suggested activities. Participant engagement allowed them to reflect, interact and collaborate with each other. All 13 participants reported they acquired knowledge about clinical tools and 12 mentioned they reflected on their practice. While the CoP was ongoing, six participants noticed evidence-practice gaps, seven prepared to change their practice, and three changed their practice towards including more participation-based considerations. Conclusions This study showed that speech-language pathologists can include more participation-based approaches in aphasia rehabilitation as a result of participating in a time-bound, web-based CoP. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-019-4338-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.