Affiliations: [a] Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA | [b] Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA | [c] University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing, Madison, WI, USA | [d] Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Peter Meulenbroek, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Northwestern University, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 345 E. Superior Street, Rm 1328, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. Tel.: +1 312 238 6820; Fax: +1 312 238 2208; E-mails: peter.meulenbroek@northwestern.edu; pmeulenbroek@ric.org.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Interpersonal skill deficits are the primary reason for workplace separation after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Communication is integral to interpersonal skills, but workplace communication demands are inadequately described in the rehabilitation literature. OBJECTIVE:This study describes inter-stakeholder examples of workplace communication behaviors for a level of employment to which people with TBI commonly attempt to return. METHODS:Setting: Mid-level workplaces.Design: Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, then analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings were linked to common communication deficits in persons with TBI.Participants: A volunteer sample of twenty healthy individuals employed in the mid-level workplaces, ten employees and ten supervisors.Main Outcome Measure(s): Taxonomy of communication skill deficits common in persons with TBI and associated with mid-level workplaces. RESULTS:Interviews revealed seven communication-related skills associated with mid-level employment: 1) spoken language processing; 2) verbal memory; 3) reading and writing; 4) verbal reasoning; 5) expressive pragmatics; 6) multi-tasking; and 7) social cognition. CONCLUSION:Workers and supervisors from an assortment of mid-level jobs with differing job contents all identified similarly common and important cross-occupational communication-related skills. Findings provide a preliminary guide to assess and treat communication skills for patients who have work re-entry as a goal.
Keywords: Traumatic brain injury, employment, vocational rehabilitation, social reintegration, communication disorders
