The Impact of Therapist Training in Interpersonal Communication on Rehabilitation Outcome for Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients when conducted by therapists who had participated in a training program on effective patient communication, as compared to rehabilitation administered by therapists without this training. The study included 40 TBI patients under treatment in a phased rehabilitation program. The experimental group (E) included 20 patients trained by therapists who participated in the training course on effective patient communication, while the control group (K) included 20 patients trained by rehabilitation therapists who did not participate in this program. The research methods included analysis of documentation, structured clinical interview, and the Rehabilitation Effectiveness Rating Scale. The differences between the results obtained at baseline and follow-up from group E were highly significant for both mental and physical comfort and the assessment of the ability to communicate. The contingency coefficient indicates a significant relationship between the program and the improvement of mental and physical comfort (Csk = 0.644), and the ability to communicate (Csk = 0.47). These same differences were not significant in group K. There was a significant association between the therapists’ participation in training for effective patient communication and the psycho-physical comfort of patients, as well as their ability to communicate in social situations. The rehabilitation of patients after traumatic brain injury is thus more effective when conducted by therapists trained in effective patient communication.