Collaborative Therapeutic Neuropsychological Assessment

Tad T. Gorske

• 20 oktober 2008
• 9780387754253

Samenvatting:

This book describes developments in methods of neuropsychological assessment feedback that involve active collaboration with patients in an open exchange of information and results. The authors are expert clinical practitioners and academic researchers.

Collaborative Therapeutic Neuropsychological Assessment

Edited by Tad T. Gorske, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine

Steven R. Smith, University of California at Santa Barbara

Perhaps the greatest challenge faced by neuropsychological assessment is its image as a bearer of bad news, i.e., the diagnosis of cognitive impairment. To meet this challenge and better address patient needs, practitioners need to fill the void that too often exists between diagnosis and treatment, starting with exchanging feedback about test results. The contributors to Collaborative Therapeutic Neuropsychological Assessment have developed methods that expand on traditional information-gathering means to build rapport with patients and let their voices be heard in decision-making: this client-centered approach has shown to lead to more personal interventions, better compliance, and stronger recovery.

In contrast with other books in the field, this reader-friendly volume provides detailed methods and procedures on client feedback as well as assessment, in addition to conceptual and practical basics:

• The CTNA model and its underlying assumptions.
• The history and development of client-centered feedback in assessment, especially its roots in motivational interviewing.
• Empirical literature review, including the latest research on CTNA methods.
• Guidelines for conducting collaborative interviews in CTNA.
• Basic method for conducting collaborative feedback sessions in CTNA.
• Practical suggestions for using CTNA in clinical, rehabilitative, school, and other settings, and adapting the method to specialized populations such as children, the elderly, and minorities.
• Case studies illustrating salient concerns and techniques.

The clinical knowledge presented in Collaborative Therapeutic Neuropsychological Assessment builds on the centrality of assessment in care to signal potent new directions in practice and training. As such, it deserves to be read by neuropsychologists (as well as rehabilitation, clinical, and school psychologists), and used in courses and certification programs in psychological and neuropsychological assessment.

One of the challenges the field of clinical neuropsychology faces is to develop an assessment process that is relevant and responsive to the needs of patients. Indeed, it has been suggested that the survival of neuropsychology as a clinical discipline may be threatened due to an overemphasis on diagnosing cognitive deficits as opposed to developing methods that meet patients’ needs. One way to meet this need is for psychologists to extend their services by developing clinical interventions that contribute to enhancing patients’ cognitive and emotional well-being. Providing feedback from the results of neuropsychological tests is one method suggested as a way to enhance patient care and satisfaction with the assessment process while providing a link between clinical assessment and therapeutic interventions.

In current practice, providing feedback to patients about the results of neuropsychological assessments has been considered an optional procedure by clinicians and thus received little attention in the literature. Yet there is evidence that when feedback is provided to patients the effects are overwhelmingly positive. Feedback provides a bridge between assessment and treatment by facilitating the development of applicable treatment plans. There is no agreed upon conceptual framework for providing feedback from neuropsychological assessment, although researchers have made recommendations. However, these recommendations have done little to affect clinical practice and training despite the fact that including patient-oriented feedback enhances the likelihood that neuropsychological assessment will remain a relevant and important component of patient care. The purpose of this proposed book is to first describe developments in methods of neuropsychological assessment feedback that involve active collaboration with patients in an open exchange of information and results. Second, we will present a comprehensive model for conducting neuropsychologicalassessment feedback. The authors of this book are expert clinical practitioners and academic researchers who are at the forefront of the development and implementation of Collaborative Therapeutic Neuropsychological Assessment methods. Table of contents follows.