Involving people living with brain injuries and communication difficulties in service improvement: an appreciative inquiry approach

Person-centred health communication balances the contributions of service providers and users. However, people living with brain injuries typically find their voices excluded from service developments. Person-centred communication in service development promotes collaboration, self-identity and empowers services to be designed by and for their population. Seven people living with acquired brain injury and eight healthcare staff members from two specialist brain injury rehabilitation centres engaged in Appreciative Inquiries to develop their vision for the service and plans to move the service closer to that vision. The narrative approach of Appreciative Inquiry supported people living with brain injuries to share a professional and personal vision for the service. Developments included vocational training and more varied therapies for patients alongside educational opportunities for staff and access to research trials. Raising public awareness was also considered an important role for the service as well as working with younger people regarding prevention. Appreciative Inquiry may be successfully used to support people living with brain injuries and communication difficulties to democratically contribute to research and service developments. Researchers and service providers should consider how it might be applied with this population and other seldom heard members of society.