An Australian researcher has found that speech and language disorders could be validly and reliably assessed over the Internet using a telerehabilitation application.
“Having worked clinically with people living with an acquired neurogenic communication disorder, I saw how frustrating it was for both the person with the communication disorder and the clinician if access to these services was restricted due to issues of caseload, distance or mobility issues,” said University of Queensland (UQ) PhD graduate Dr. Anne Hill.
Telerehabilitation seems particularly well-suited to areas with a widely dispersed population and rural and remote communities.
While Dr. Hill was already won over by the potential benefits of telerehabilitation, she felt an academic investigation finding evidence of its success was important before introduction to the speech-language pathology profession.
Using a UQ-built telerehabilitation device, the study assessed 86 patients with various speech and language disorders, such as dysarthria, aphasia and apraxia of speech.
Each participant was also assessed using the traditional face-to-face method, allowing Dr. Hill to gather comparative data and measure the validity and reliability of remote assessment.
“One of two speech pathologists was randomly assigned to lead the assessment, either in the telerehabilitation environment or the face-to-face environment, while the other speech pathologist became a silent scorer of the assessment in the alternative environment.
“The introduction of telerehabilitation to the profession of speech-language pathology unlocks an exciting new era of research which blends clinical and technological innovation to better understand and serve those living with a communication disorder.â
