A survey of the clinical use of telehealth in speech-language pathology across Australia

Research into the use of telehealth technology for speech-language pathology {SLP) services has been conducted for over 30 years; however, it is unknown whether this research has translated into clinical practice. A web-based survey was deployed to determine key factors around the clinical use of telehealth by Australian SLPs. Quantitative analysis revealed that clinicians are using a wide range of technology to deliver a variety of SLP services to both paediatric and adult populations. A number of benefits to using telehealth in clinical practice were identified, along with significant barriers to the expansion of telehealth in SLP. Suggested facilitators for the further development of telehealth in SLP included more professional development in the area of telehealth, demonstrations by experienced users of telehealth, and access to electronic assessment and treatment resources. Limitations of the study are discussed with directions for future research.