Examining the Efficacy of Communication Partner Training for Improving Communication Interactions and Outcomes for Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review.

Sample sizes across the included studies were relatively small, which may have reduced the power to detect true differences. Most evidence comes from a single research group in Australia, raising concerns about cultural bias and generalizability. The risk of bias varied, with some studies having unclear blinding procedures or selection biases. The review excluded individuals with active mental health challenges, addictions, or multiple TBIs, limiting applicability to these vulnerable subgroups. No study analyzed the effect of sex or gender on outcomes, despite the majority of patients being male and partners being female. The review did not critically appraise the qualitative studies.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was not funded by a commercial entity, and the interventions reviewed (such as TBI Express) are publicly available programs.

Do not assume that training the patient alone is sufficient. The review indicates that joint training of both the patient and their communication partner yields significantly better outcomes in information transfer and communicative support than treating the patient in isolation.