Telemedicine and the Interdisciplinary Clinic Model: During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

The emergence of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the subsequent need for physical distancing have necessitated a swift change in health care delivery. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, many institutions utilized an interdisciplinary clinic model including both a laryngologist and a speech-language pathologist for the evaluation of patients with voice, swallowing, and upper airway disorders. To improve access, many providers are pursuing the use of interdisciplinary telemedicine to provide individualized patient-centered care while allowing for physical distancing. The purpose of this commentary is to review the current literature regarding telemedicine in laryngology and speech-language pathology as well as the current and future states of practice for interdisciplinary tele-evaluations.

Download Full-text

Beyond the First Wave: Consequences of COVID-19 on High-Risk Infants and Families

American Journal of Perinatology ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1715839 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 37 (12) ◽

pp. 1283-1288

Author(s):

Monica E. Lemmon ◽

Ira Chapman ◽

William Malcolm ◽

Kelli Kelley ◽

Richard J. Shaw ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Care Delivery ◽

The Novel ◽

High Risk Infant ◽

Infant Outcomes ◽

Developmental Care ◽

Key Points ◽

Centered Care ◽

High Risk Infants ◽

Novel Coronavirus

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting care for high-risk newborns in ways that will likely be sustained beyond the initial pandemic response. These novel challenges present an urgent imperative to understand how COVID-19 impacts parent, family, and infant outcomes. We highlight three areas that warrant targeted attention: (1) inpatient care: visitation policies, developmental care, and communication practices; (2) outpatient care: high-risk infant follow-up and early intervention programs; and (3) parent psychosocial distress: mental health, social support, and financial toxicity. Changes to care delivery in these areas provide an opportunity to identify and implement novel strategies to provide family-centered care during COVID-19 and beyond. Key Points

Download Full-text

Considering the Language Disorder Label Debate From a School Speech-Language Pathology Lens

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_persp-19-00077 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 47-54

Author(s):

Kimberly A. Murza ◽

Barbara J. Ehren

Keyword(s):

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Speech Language Pathologist ◽

School Based ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Education Act

Purpose The purpose of this article is to situate the recent language disorder label debate within a school's perspective. As described in two recent The ASHA Leader articles, there is international momentum to change specific language impairment to developmental language disorder . Proponents of this change cite increased public awareness and research funding as part of the rationale. However, it is unclear whether this label debate is worthwhile or even practical for the school-based speech-language pathologist (SLP). A discussion of the benefits and challenges to a shift in language disorder labels is provided. Conclusions Although there are important arguments for consistency in labeling childhood language disorder, the reality of a label change in U.S. schools is hard to imagine. School-based services are driven by eligibility through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which has its own set of labels. There are myriad reasons why advocating for the developmental language disorder label may not be the best use of SLPs' time, perhaps the most important of which is that school SLPs have other urgent priorities.

Download Full-text

Dual Task, Noise, and The Speech-Language Pathologist: A Clinical Guideline for Adult Multi-Tasking Intervention With Noise

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/persp2.sig15.32 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (15) ◽

pp. 32-41

Author(s):

Jennine Harvey ◽

Scott Seeman ◽

Deborah von Hapsburg

Keyword(s):

Dual Task ◽

Clinical Guideline ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Speech Language Pathologist ◽

Hearing In Noise ◽

Hearing Function ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

The field of Cognitive Hearing Science examines the relationship between cognitive, linguistic, and hearing functions. Although these areas are of particular importance to speech-language pathology, few studies have investigated applications of cognitive hearing science to clinical practice. The purpose of this review article is to (1) explore and present a summary of cognitive hearing science techniques for dual-task and hearing-in-noise procedures and implications to speech-language pathology, and (2) provide a clinical guide for speech-language pathology in adult multitasking intervention with noise. It is well understood that areas of cognitive skill and hearing function decline with age; therefore, additional understanding of the relationship of these functions is of particular importance to speech-language pathologists working with older individuals. This article meets the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's (ASHA's) Special Interest Group (SIG) 15's mission of “research-to-practice” professional development by “promoting understanding of the effects of normal and pathological aging on cognition, language […] and hearing” (ASHA, 2017), and is intended to be of interest to the SIG 15 readership.

Download Full-text

The Time Has Come for Speech-Language Pathology License Portability!

International Journal of Telerehabilitation ◽

10.5195/ijt.2011.6079 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 27-30

Author(s):

Melissa Jakubowitz

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Private Practice ◽

Language Disorders ◽

Vice President ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Past President ◽

The Public ◽

Speech Language Pathologist ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Managerial Experience

This Letter to the Editor on the topic of speech-language pathology license portability for telepractice, was authored by Melissa Jakubowitz M.A. CCC-SLP, Vice President of SLP Services at PresenceLearning. A speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of clinical and managerial experience, Ms. Jakubowitz is a Board Recognized Specialist in Child Language. Ms. Jakubowitz began her career working in the public schools and has also operated a successful, multi-office private practice. She is a past Director of the Scottish Rite Institute for Childhood Language Disorders in Stockton, CA. Jakubowitz is also a past-president of the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association, which, with over 5,000 SLP members, is one of the largest speech-language pathologist state associations in the country. Active in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Ms. Jakubowitz served as a Legislative Counselor for 12 years.

Download Full-text

Beyond Services in the United States of America: Fulbright U.S. Scholar Experience in Vietnam

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2021_persp-21-00187 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Sue Ann S. Lee

Keyword(s):

Cultural Exchange ◽

The United States ◽

Current Status ◽

Outreach Program ◽

Speech Pathology ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Department Of State ◽

Speech Language Pathologist ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Consultation Services

Purpose: This article addresses my experience as a speech-language pathologist in a cultural exchange and global outreach program in Vietnam. The importance and various types of cultural exchange and global outreach programs available through the U.S. Department of State, the current status of educational speech-language pathology programs in Vietnam, and a brief introduction of the country as well as its unique cultural characteristics are also discussed. Conclusions: As a Fulbright U.S. scholar, I resided 6 months in Hue, Vietnam, to provide education and consultation services to children who needed speech-language pathology services and their families. The speech pathology profession in Vietnam is significantly underdeveloped. However, several international nongovernmental organizations and foreign universities have assisted Vietnam in developing speech pathology and audiology professions. Among many opportunities to serve the needs of speech pathology and audiology preprofessional education and service delivery in Vietnam, one of the most prestigious opportunities is the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. It is my hope that my personal and professional experiences can encourage fellow speech-language pathology and audiology professors and practitioners to apply for a Fulbright scholarship to pursue a rich volunteer experience in a foreign country as well as to improve their cultural competency upon return to their own academic institutions.

Download Full-text

Unique Challenges for Otolaryngology Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Otolaryngology ◽

10.1177/0194599820954838 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 019459982095483

Author(s):

Melissa Ghulam-Smith ◽

Yeyoon Choi ◽

Heather Edwards ◽

Jessica R. Levi

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Delivery ◽

Care Delivery ◽

Patient Centered Care ◽

Patient Centered ◽

Intimate Contact ◽

Respiratory Mucosa ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Centered Care ◽

Upper Respiratory

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has drastically altered health care delivery and utilization. The field of otolaryngology in particular has faced distinct challenges and an increased risk of transmission as day-to-day procedures involve intimate contact with a highly infectious upper respiratory mucosa. While the difficulties for physicians have been thoroughly discussed, the unique challenges of patients have yet to be considered. In this article, we present challenges for patients of otolaryngology that warrant thoughtful consideration and propose solutions to address these challenges to maintain patient-centered care both during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download Full-text

Instilling the core concept of inter professional education

Health Renaissance ◽

10.3126/hren.v9i3.5591 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 201-206

Author(s):

S Bhattacharya ◽

SK Bhattacharya ◽

AP Gautam

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Professional ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Professional Education ◽

Care Delivery ◽

Care Providers ◽

Patient Centered ◽

Innovative Teaching ◽

Centered Care ◽

Teaching Learning

The Inter Professional Education (IPE) is an innovative teaching learning intervention in Health Professions’ Education during which members of more than one health profession learn interactively together to improve collaborative practice and/health of the patients. Thus this approach provides positive outcomes for students enhancing their awareness towards other professional groups, improving knowledge and understanding of how to work in an inter professional team and strengthening their communication and collaboration skills. Within the hierarchical nature of many clinical settings, the aims of IPE courses intersect with socialization of health professional (HP) students into roles of responsibility and authority. The IPE in HP courses emphasizes the practice of frequent high quality communication, strong relationships and partnerships among health care providers to maximize the quality of care thus improving the efficiency of care thereby improving clinical outcomes. Health Professional Schools are this motivated to opt for inter professional education to improve the learning of the students, health care delivery and patient outcomes. Keywords: Inter professional relations; patient centered care; education DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hren.v9i3.5591 HR 2011; 9(3): 201-206

Download Full-text

Face masks are an essential tool to mitigate the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: a call to action

Rhinology online ◽

10.4193/rhinol/20.065 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 157-159

Author(s):

P. Dehgani-Mobaraki ◽

A. Kamber Zaidi ◽

J.M. Levy ◽

Keyword(s):

Upper Airway ◽

World Health ◽

Contact Tracing ◽

The Novel ◽

Call To Action ◽

Public Health Emergencies ◽

Current Spread ◽

The World ◽

Health And Disease ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Over the past several months, an increasing volume of infor- mation has expanded awareness regarding the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus associated with COVID-19. Following the pandemic declaration by the World Health Orga- nization (WHO), global authorities immediately took measures to reduce the transmission and subsequent morbidity associa- ted with this highly contagious disease. However, despite initial success in “flattening the curve” of viral transmission, many areas of the world are currently experiencing an increase in com- munity transmission, threatening to replicate the early public health emergencies experienced by Italy (1,2). In addition, the possibility of contact tracing through geosocial applications and public service platforms have been met with variable interest (3). Given current spread and the upcoming influenza season, it is essential that we use our voices as experts in upper airway health and disease to educate and encourage all communities to adopt appropriate protective measures, including the routine use of facemasks.

Download Full-text

The Speech-Language Pathologist and Reading: Opportunities to Extend Services for the Children We Serve

Perspectives on School-Based Issues ◽

10.1044/sbi10.2.38 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 38-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Michaela J. Ritter

Keyword(s):

Reading Disabilities ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

The Past ◽

Speech Language Pathologist ◽

Assessment And Treatment ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Reading Impairments

Abstract In recent years, major changes have occurred in the field of speech-language pathology and education. In the past 2 decades researchers, educators, and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have increased their focus on the identification, assessment, and treatment of reading disabilities in children (Catts, 1991; Catts, Fey, Zhang, & Tomblin, 2001; Justice & Ezell, 2004; Kaderavek & Justice, 2004). The primary goal of this article is to discuss a variety of ways that the speech-language pathologist can be both directly and indirectly involved in working with children who present with language and reading impairments. For example, Baylor University's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders has had the opportunity to be involved in the prevention, identification, and treatment of reading disabilities in children both in a direct and indirect way.

Download Full-text