Written By Laura Thompson
Telehealth: It’s nothing new. It’s been around for years. So why the sudden uptake? And has this application of tech changed the landscape for healthcare providers and consumers long-term?
Speech Pathology telehealth is a form of providing speech therapy services to patients through online video conferencing or telephone. This type of therapy is becoming increasingly popular and is used by Speech Pathologists to assess and treat individuals with communication and swallowing disorders. It can be used to diagnose and treat language, articulation, voice, fluency, and cognitive-communication disorders. It can also help individuals improve their speech production, including their pronunciation and intonation. Additionally, it can be used to work on social communication, assistive technology, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Telehealth can also be used to assess and treat swallowing disorders such as dysphagia, and provide support and education for caregivers.
Telehealth has been increasingly used as an alternative to in-person medical appointments in recent years, and dysphagia assessment is no exception. Several studies have investigated the use of telehealth for dysphagia assessment and found it to be both feasible and effective. In one study, researchers compared the accuracy of telehealth-based dysphagia assessment to in-person assessment. They found that the accuracy of telehealth-based assessments was comparable to in-person assessments, and that telehealth-based assessments were more efficient and cost-effective. In another study, researchers compared the accuracy of remote versus in-person dysphagia assessments. They found that remote assessments were just as accurate as in-person assessments and that remote assessments were more efficient and cost-effective. In a third study, researchers compared the accuracy of telehealth-based dysphagia assessments to traditional bedside assessments. They found that telehealth-based assessments were just as accurate as bedside assessments, and that telehealth-based assessments were more efficient and cost-effective. Overall, the evidence suggests that telehealth-based dysphagia assessment is feasible and effective, and could be a viable alternative to in-person assessments.
The outcome? Yes, I think telehealth assessment and intervention is here to stay. With the research showing equitable outcomes, client and provider satisfaction akin to face to face sessions. Indeed the reduction in waitlist times and introduction of same day telehealth assessments with companies such as www.adultspeechandswallowclinic foster improved health outcomes and favoured health cost model.
