Interprofessional Cognitive-Communication Rehabilitation Patterns for Children and Adolescents With Acquired Brain Injuries: A Retrospective Medical Chart Review.

PURPOSE: Health care professionals' management and service provision for cognitive-communication disorders following pediatric acquired brain injury (ABI) are poorly understood. This retrospective medical chart review explored interprofessional cognitive-communication rehabilitation practices for children and adolescents with ABI. The aim was to describe current assessment and treatment patterns given practice overlap and the need for collaborative care among diverse health care professionals in pediatric rehabilitation. This will serve as a step toward developing practice guidelines for rehabilitation while reinforcing the critical role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in managing cognitive-communication disorders. METHOD: The retrospective review involved 30 consecutive admissions from a pediatric health care and research center in Ontario, Canada. The cohort comprised all eligible children and adolescents aged 2-17 years with ABI. Extracted variables included patient demographics, cognitive and communication assessment and treatment practices, and interprofessional collaboration. RESULTS: Patients varied widely in age, injury mechanism, and severity. Health care professionals such as physicians, nurses, and neuropsychologists were extensively involved in managing cognitive and communication challenges, but involvement of SLPs was limited. Interprofessional collaboration was infrequent, particularly with SLPs, even though they were members of the interdisciplinary team. CONCLUSIONS: Results revealed a lack of SLP involvement in inpatient rehabilitation of children with cognitive-communication disorders, underscoring the need for enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration. These findings suggest that the impact of cognitive impairment on communication might not be well recognized in pediatric inpatient rehabilitation, highlighting the need for not only interdisciplinary collaboration but also education regarding cognitive-communication disorders and advocacy for the role of SLPs. Future research should investigate barriers and facilitators to interprofessional practice to optimize collaboration and improve patient outcomes. Ongoing dialogue and development of shared definitions for cognitive-communication disorder, alongside targeted educational initiatives and advocacy, will promote a culture of collaborative practice and ensure comprehensive care for pediatric patients with cognitive-communication disorders. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.29575172.