SLTs: person-centred practitioners?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring speech and language therapists’ (SLTs) understanding of person-centred practice using appreciative inquiry.
IRAS ID
273293
Contact name
Sara MacBride-Stewart
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 23 days
Research summary
Healthcare provision is considered to be excellent when it considers the individual’s own values, beliefs and social and cultural context (The Health Foundation 2014). This focus on the individual as a person suggests that it is patients, and their families or carers rather than the healthcare team, who are able to make the best decisions about their treatment. This is known as ‘person-centred care’.
It is felt to be particularly important in the area of rehabilitation and work with individuals with communication disability, for example after a stroke or a brain injury. However, even though it is considered to be ‘best practice’ and a sign of a quality service, it is unclear whether this actually occurs in practice. The proposed study aims to explore the understanding and application of the concept of person-centred care by speech and language therapists within one health service, and to establish whether a gap exists between theory and practice. The project also explores how the practice in this particular service aligns with that of other SLT services across the UK. Workshops will be held with staff, looking at what works well & what could be developed further. Staff will be asked for personal reflections and anonymised patient stories that exemplify a person-centred approach.A service plan will then be developed to ensure service improvement.REC name
N/A
REC reference
N/A