Online aphasia therapy program 'gave me back some control'

Developed by the University of Queensland, the CHAT program is particularly helping people in rural and regional areas.

Aphasia affects a person's ability to communicate, typically after a stroke or head injury, and is experienced by more than 140,000 Australians.

Queensland Aphasia Research Centre director Professor David Copland said many people with aphasia may not be receiving the therapy that best meets their needs.

"The CHAT program is currently available in Brisbane at Metro North Health's Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service and will be expanded to seven hospital and health service sites in Queensland, NSW and South Australia," he said.

"Our clinicians and researchers will assess the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of the CHAT program across multiple health settings and compare it with aphasia care currently being provided.

"An online equivalent of the CHAT program (TeleCHAT) will also be available as an option for people to participate in their homes."

Professor Copland said early results of the online program are promising.

Paul and his wife Julie experienced the benefits of TeleCHAT after Paul suffered a stroke at age 66.

''TeleCHAT is a game changer for people with aphasia who live in distant areas, as it becomes therapy in the room with you instantly," Paul said.

"For me it was a better option than usual care as I could access more high intensity sessions and I didn't have to rely on my wife to drive me one to three hours to attend therapy. It gave me back some control."

The Comprehensive High-Dose Aphasia Treatment (CHAT) program includes 50 hours of intensive therapy delivered over eight weeks by speech pathologists with support from aphasia researchers.

Nicky Graham, director of Speech Pathology Allied Health Services at Cairns Hospital, said the telehealth component will mean many people who live long distances from Cairns will be able to access high quality therapy.

"We're committed to achieving the best outcomes for our clients, so people with aphasia can get the right therapy at the right time to improve their communication with their families and their community," she said.

The CHAT program was awarded $1 million under the federal government's National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Projects Grant.

The Queensland Aphasia Research Centre was established in partnership with Metro North Health as part of the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Services Education and Research Alliance, thanks to a $1 million gift from the Bowness Family Foundation and $500,000 from an anonymous donor.