A Case Study of the Use of Videoconferencing in a Speech and Language Therapy Setting

Katsavras, Elisabeth Mary (2001) A Case Study of the Use of Videoconferencing in a Speech and Language Therapy Setting. MLitt(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The subject of this thesis is the comprehensive evaluation of the telemedical Teach-Speech project which was a field study, designed by speech and language professionals. The TeachSpeech model of service delivery increases the therapeutic role of educational support assistants (ESAs) through the introduction of a videoconferencing link, used by a remote speech and language therapist (SLT) to support the ESAs in their work with children who have speech and language impairments in mainstream schools. This model of service delivery was contrasted with the traditional model of therapy where the SLT visits the schools to provide direct face-to-face therapy to the child. In contrast with the TeachSpeech model of therapy where the ESAs receive formal support across the videoconferencing link, the ESAs in the traditional model receive little formal support from the SLT. The two models of therapy were evaluated through consideration of the project performance, the users' perceptions and the communication process of the videoconferencing meetings. The performance was measured using log sheets to gauge how the therapists spent their time, by a cost analysis and with a clinical effectiveness tool as applied to the nine children in the TeachSpeech group and the sixteen children in the traditional model of therapy. Stakeholders were canvassed using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to appraise their perceptions of the models of therapy. Finally, the process of TeachSpeech model of therapy was assessed using structural and content analysis applied to the transcripts obtained from video-mediated meetings. Results obtained with Enderby Outcome Measures showed that the two methods of delivery were equally clinically effective, thereby satisfying a critical requirement of the project. The technology was found to be unobtrusive, allowing the participants to adapt quickly to this innovative communication medium. The technology was found to support complex interaction such as the essential teaching-learning relationship that exists among the participants. In the small-scale pilot project considered, the TeachSpeech project was not cost effective. Under certain circumstances, extension to a wider population is believed to render the model cost effective. Results were mainly positive and suggested that consideration of a single evaluation criterion can be misleading. Despite being a small scale evaluation, the results were generally encouraging and suggest the potential benefit of this method of service delivery.

• Item Type: Thesis (MLitt(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Additional Information: Adviser: Anne Anderson
• Keywords: Clinical psychology, Speech therapy
• Date of Award: 2001
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2001-75790
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 Nov 2019 18:11
• Last Modified: 19 Nov 2019 18:11
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/75790