Silvia's blog
Abstract
For many health professions, the delivery of a telehealth services requires more than simple talking heads. In this paper, we focus on custom functionality needs in speech pathology and how a variety of speech pathology services have been delivered using an affordable web-based solution. Three case studies will be presented together with scientific evidence of their efficacy, all using the same adaptable software:
(1) Assessment: we use a custom interface to provide standardised language assessments via telehealth. In a study of 23 school aged children with reading difficulties, a speech pathologist based in Sydney delivers the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals – 4th ed. to students in a remote hub. Results showed that the assessments were valid, feasible and well tolerated by the children.
(2) Intervention: students with significant learning difficulties in rural and remote areas in NSW are provided with a remote speech pathology intervention through their school – a service impossible to source locally. Providing about 30 interventions a month to students with their teachers has a substantial impact on students’ communication and literacy skills, giving them tools relevant to the rest of their lives.
(3) Community capacity building: the Sounds, Words, Aboriginal Language and Yarning (SWAY) program builds speech pathology capacity of rural and remote teaching staff in NSW. SWAY is an oral language and early literacy programme for preschool and kindergarten students. Targeted small group speech pathology is delivered and provides intervention to ‘at risk’ (tier 2) students, modelling of evidence based language strategies to teaching staff as well as advice and onward referral, when required. The local teaching staff gain remote professional development and ongoing mentoring, while the children get early intervention. A focus on the local aboriginal language in the program provides further community inclusion.
Download: https://event.icebergevents.com.au/sft-2017/program