Perspectives on the role of the speech and language therapist in palliative care: An international survey

Abstract

Background: Speech and language therapists can improve the quality of life of people receiving palliative care through the management of communication and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia). However, their role in this domain is poorly defined and little is understood about the current international professional practice in this field. Aims: To examine how speech and language therapists perceive their role in the delivery of palliative care to clients, to discover current international speech and language therapist practices and to explore the similarities and differences in speech and language therapists’ practice in palliative care internationally. This will inform professional clinical guidelines and practice in this area. Design: Anonymous, non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design. Participants: Speech and language therapists working with adult and paediatric palliative care populations in Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand where the speech and language therapist profession is well established. Method: Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants internationally using gatekeepers. An online survey was disseminated using Survey Monkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com). Results: A total of 322 speech and language therapists responded to the survey. Speech and language therapist practices in palliative care were similar across continents. Current speech and language therapist practices along with barriers and facilitators to practice were identified. The need for a speech and language therapist professional position paper on this topic was emphasised by respondents. Conclusion: Internationally, speech and language therapists believe they have a role in palliative care. The speech and language therapist respondents highlighted that this area of practice is under-resourced, under-acknowledged and poorly developed. They highlighted the need for additional research as well as specialist training and education for speech and language therapists and other multidisciplinary team members in the area of palliative care.