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6 Implementing Speech@Home into clinical practice using a quality improvement (QI) methodology
  1. Debbie Sell1,
  2. Francesca Galeota2,
  3. Celine Lenihan3,
  4. Eilish O’Connor4,
  5. Holly Peryer5,
  6. Anje Wessels5,
  7. Triona Sweeney6
  1. 1Centre for Outcomes and Experience Research in Children’s Health, Illness and Disability (ORCHID), Great Ormond Street Hospital
  2. 2Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
  3. 3Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) at Temple Street, Dublin
  4. 4The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Belfast
  5. 5West Midlands Cleft Lip and Palate Team, Birmingham
  6. 6Speech@Home

Abstract

Background The efficacy of Parent Led, Therapist supervised Articulation Therapy for children with cleft type speech disorders has been shown (Sweeney et al, 2020). The intervention has been adapted to an online integrated package consisting of parent training courses, a Therapy Programme Builder (TPB) and automated resources. This presentation reports a two-phased evaluation of Speech@Home in clinical practice, using a QI methodology.

Methods Six Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) from 4 Cleft Centres took part. SLTs completed a training webinar for each phase.

Phase 1 – the Therapy Programme Builder and Resources. Sixteen untrained parents and children received 10 weekly teletherapy sessions, delivered by the therapist using the TPB and resources.

Phase 2 – Parent Training Course. Nine different parents/teaching assistants undertook the online training course, and delivered therapy guided by the programme, under the supervision of the SLT.

Quantitative and qualitative feedback of the SLTs’ and parents’ views of the website’s usability, activities and resources and the Parent Training Course were evaluated. Baseline and post-intervention data on the children’s speech were documented in both phases.

Results In Phase 1, SLTs and parents rated usability, activities and resources with almost all high scores (mean = 4.4). SLTs’ qualitative feedback led to improvements in the website. Both groups gave overall positive feedback and both requested parent training.

In Phase 2, all participants reported they would recommend the training course to other parents/clinicians. Parents requested success stories, access to the webinars for their assignments, and individual tailoring of two of the eight webinars. SLTs recommended some revision of assignments.

Conclusions This project has provided evidence for the effectiveness of the Speech@Home approach based on data from 5 novel therapists, 21 parents/teaching assistants and speech results. S@H has the potential to be integrated as an additional method of service delivery for some families.

https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2021-gosh.6

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