Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Services in Pediatric Population During COVID Pandemic in Nepal

Abstract

The pandemic has affected the daily working of people worldwide, including Audiology and speech languageservices. The Audiology and speech-language pathology services require proximity to the patients and hence increases the risk for transmission of the virus. These services are required during this time are immense to utilize a critical period of language development. Teleservices are a suitable option to assess and rehabilitate the client at this time. In a country like Nepal, where limited professionals are working in this fi eld, telehealth not only reduces transmission risk but also could be useful for patients who cannot attend clinics regularly due to the unavailability of services near their reach. The Speech and Hearing Association and all professionals working in this field should be ready to accept the changes that will eventually lead to the growth of the fi eld and the reach of the services for the patients in need.

Service Delivery and the Use of Telepractice During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Iceland

“…Along with this, the fact that Iceland is a technologically advanced and relatively well-resourced nation meant that a rapid transition to telepractice was not only possible but also a viable option. This was not the case in less-resourced contexts around the world (Bhatarai et al, 2020;Salas-Provance et al, 2020).…”

Investigation of Speech and Language Therapy Services in Türkiye During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Research

“…Bu bulgu, farklı sağlık kurumlarında sunulan diğer sağlık hizmetleri ve DKT'lerin sunduğu hizmetlerdeki düşüşün raporlandığı çalışmalar ile paralellik göstermektedir. 5,17 Pandemi sırasında, hükûmetlerin almış olduğu kapanma ve karantinaya girme kararları, bu hizmetlere devam edilememesindeki en önemli etkenler arasındadır. Mevcut çalışma verilerinin toplandığı dönemde Türkiye'de uygulanan sokağa çıkma kısıtlamaları ve kapanma önlemlerinin, DKT hizmetlerinin devam etmesini engellemiş olabileceği düşünülmektedir.…”

“…[13][14][15][16] Bu çalışmalarda, salgın sırasında dil-konuşma terapisi hizmetine başvuran vaka sayılarında düşüş olduğu vurgulanmış; terapi almaya devam eden vakalarda, DKT'lerin yüz yüze terapiden teleterapi uygulamalarına yöneldikleri belirtilmiştir. 14,17,18 Türkiye'de çalışan DKT'lerin teleterapi uygulamalarına dair görüşleri olumlu olup, bu uygulamalardan faydalanmak isteyebileceklerine yöneliktir. 19 Teleterapi hizmeti sağlayan DKT'ler, bu uygulamaların vakalara ulaşmada kolaylık sağlaması, zaman ve mekân bakımından esnek ve ekonomik açıdan avantajlı olması; uzaktan yapıldığı için sosyal mesafe kuralına uygun olması ve bulaş riskini ortadan kaldırması gibi özellikleri dolayısıyla tercih ettiklerini belirtmişlerdir.…”

Challenges in Delivering Tele-Practice Services for Communication Disorders Among Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists

“…To prevent the spread of the disease, it is practised all over the world. This not only minimises the risk of transmission, but also could be useful for patients who cannot attend clinics regularly due to the unavailability of services near their reach [3].As a result, the possibilities of technology have been explored in practically every facet of life. Tele rehabilitation is the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to give rehabilitation services to persons in their homes or other settings across a long distance [4] There have been many studies debating over whether tele therapy is feasible and convenient over face-to-face therapy and the results have been found to be mixed [5][6][7][8][9].…”