Speak Out August 2021

TELEPRACTICE

Restriction ready Preparing for telehealth services

Professional support Sometimes, speech pathologists benefit from talking to someone else about establishing and maintaining a successful telepractice service. SPA members can seek supervision or mentoring from someone with experience in this area. The online Supervision Register includes a search function for those willing to support clinicians with their current telepractice caseload. The Find a Mentor search permits members to find support with preparation, prior to initiating a telehealth service. This function may be found under 'Non Clinical Area'. Guidance and risk assessment It can be difficult to know when to initiate telehealth services when restrictions change rapidly. Advice regarding this is provided by the departments of health and primary sources can be found on individual state and territory websites. The Association attempts to share updates and guidance to members. This regularly updated information can be found on the COVID-19 News and Information webpage. Making the determination to offer a service onsite or online often requires individual practitioners to perform a risk assessment. To assist members with this, SPA has created an online Risk Assessment Tool , which may be helpful in evaluating the number and type of risk factors for transmission of COVID-19 in an onsite clinical scenario. The SPA website also offers Guidance for service delivery during COVID-19 and Guidelines for Infection Prevention. Nathan Cornish-Raley Professional Support Advisor

A term that has become familiar, and perhaps overused, during the pandemic is “pivot”. However, the concept of quickly changing direction in one’s own space can be a useful description of the rapid adjustments required of speech pathologists in changing circumstances. As lockdowns and the possibility of lockdowns have continued throughout Australia, speech pathologists may benefit from preparing for an upcoming “pivot” to telepractice. Speech Pathology Australia has a variety of resources to support members with this. Professional development SPA has assembled a suite of telepractice professional development activities on the Learning Hub , most of which are free to members. Many of the webinars were produced through the generosity of the team at The University of Queensland and Queensland Health. Topics include telepractice principles and practicalities, IT considerations, risk management, delivering family- centred services, and supporting people with dysphagia or complex needs. In addition, Jacqui Attard from Realise Business produced a free webinar on COVID-19: Recovering from business interruption which may support practices during this time. Online resources SPA maintains a Telepractice Resources page. This includes various FAQ documents for speech pathologists, clients, and those wanting to understand telehealth technology and privacy. There is also a telepractice checklist and informed consent template, as well as links to numerous external resources.

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Speak Out | August 2021