The rate of change for a linear equation is the slope of the line.
Put the equation in the form y = mx + b. Then the slope is m.
-2y - 16x = 41
-2y = 16x + 41
y = -8x - 20.5
Slope = Rate of change = -8 (in other words, for each 1 unit increase in x, y decreases by 8).
