Dataset Information

Sustainable Delivery of Speech-language Therapy Services in Small Island Developing States Using Information and Communication Technology - A Study of the Maldives.

ABSTRACT: Small Island Developing States (SIDS), a subgroup of Majority world countries, face complex challenges providing equitable access to speech-language therapy (SLT) services. Increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance SLT services is seen in the Minority world. This study explored the potential of using ICT to provide sustainable SLT services in one SIDS, the Maldives. A mixed method approach was used integrating data from (a) 21 online documents, (b) interview with an ICT official, and (c) surveys of 13 island councillors and 73 parents of children with communication difficulties. Almost 100% of the population had access to mobile phones and mobile broadband internet. Most parents were active and frequent ICT users. The government provided financial aid for people with disabilities which could be utilised to access ICT for services. Asynchronous service delivery using accessible ICT and parents as agents of service delivery can potentially enhance SLT services.

SUBMITTER: Zahir MZ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7502811 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sustainable Delivery of Speech-language Therapy Services in Small Island Developing States Using Information and Communication Technology - A Study of the Maldives.

Zahir Mariyam Z MZ Miles Anna A Hand Linda L Ward Elizabeth C EC

International journal of telerehabilitation 20200630 1

Small Island Developing States (SIDS), a subgroup of Majority world countries, face complex challenges providing equitable access to speech-language therapy (SLT) services. Increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance SLT services is seen in the Minority world. This study explored the potential of using ICT to provide sustainable SLT services in one SIDS, the Maldives. A mixed method approach was used integrating data from (a) 21 online documents, (b) interview wit ...[more]

PMID: 32983366

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Project description:PurposeThe study aimed to investigate changes in the role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. It also assessed the SLPs' perceptions of delivering services using telehealth as a part of their everyday clinical practice before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodSLPs in Saudi Arabia were invited to complete a web-based survey covering questions related to changes to the role of SLPs during the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in the ways speech services are delivered; and the benefits and barriers of using telehealth in clinical practice as identified by SLPs.ResultsNinety-one SLPs completed the survey. About 94% of the respondents experienced changes in their role as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The nature of changes they had experienced including decreased work time, providing support and counseling to patients or caregivers using the telephone, providing assessment and therapy using telehealth, and working with a limited number of cases. Ninety-three percent of the respondents who have used telehealth started to use it only during the pandemic. Mostly seen caseloads were pediatric speech and language disorders. Further, 96% of respondents used telehealth for counseling, 69% for rehabilitation or treatment, 63% for screening, 56% for evaluation or assessment, 48% for a referral to other professional services, and 46% for differential diagnosis. About 70% of the SLPs showed interest to continue using telehealth in the future. Several benefits were identified to using telehealth, including accessibility, cost efficiency, and the ability to engage patients with their families in therapy sessions. On the other hand, barriers to using telehealth included internet and technical issues, lack of direct communication, and difficulty controlling the therapy setting.ConclusionsThe study has shown that SLPs in Saudi Arabia have experienced changes during the COVID-19 outbreak. The survey responses also indicate that the SLPs are adopting telehealth applications at an accelerated pace as a result of the pandemic.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Low-educated patients are disadvantaged in using questionnaires within the health care setting because most health-related questionnaires do not take the educational background of patients into account. The Dutch Talking Touch Screen Questionnaire (DTTSQ) was developed in an attempt to meet the needs of low-educated patients by using plain language and adding communication technology to an existing paper-based questionnaire. For physical therapists to use the DTTSQ as part of their intake procedure, it needs to generate accurate information from all of their patients, independent of educational level. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to get a first impression of the information that is generated by the DTTSQ. To achieve this goal, response processes of physical therapy patients with diverse levels of education were analyzed. METHODS:The qualitative Three-Step Test-Interview method was used to collect observational data on actual response behavior of 24 physical therapy patients with diverse levels of education. The interviews included both think-aloud and retrospective probing techniques. RESULTS:Of the 24 respondents, 20 encountered one or more problems during their response process. The use of plain language and information and communication technology (ICT) appeared to have a positive effect on the comprehensibility of the DTTSQ. However, it also had some negative effects on the interpretation, retrieval, judgment, and response selection within the response processes of the participants in this study. No educational group in this research population stood out from the rest in the kind or number of problems that arose. All respondents recognized themselves in the outcomes of the questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS:The use of plain language and ICT within the DTTSQ had both positive and negative effects on the response processes of its target population. The results of this study emphasize the importance of earlier recommendations to accompany any adaption of any questionnaire to a new mode of delivery by demonstrating the difference and equivalence between the two different modes and to scientifically evaluate the applicability of the newly developed mode of the questionnaire in its intended setting. This is especially important in a digital era in which the use of plain language within health care is increasingly being advocated.

Dataset Information

Sustainable Delivery of Speech-language Therapy Services in Small Island Developing States Using Information and Communication Technology - A Study of the Maldives.

Publications

Sustainable Delivery of Speech-language Therapy Services in Small Island Developing States Using Information and Communication Technology - A Study of the Maldives.

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