International survey of technology use in aphasia clinical practice

Background Limited current information exists about which technologies speech-language pathologists are using as part of aphasia rehabilitation. Improved understanding of usage patterns and barriers to implementation can help enhance the implementation of technology as a support for clinical practice.Aims The purpose of this study was to scope the breadth of technology use in aphasia rehabilitation and management from the perspective of speech-language pathologists.Methods & Procedures A cross-sectional, qualitative and quantitative survey design was employed. A 36-item internet-based branching-logic survey was developed and disseminated to speech-language pathologists internationally. Data analyses included descriptive statistics across four main areas of interest: assessment, interventions, compensatory, and service delivery.Outcomes & Results The number of respondents varied across questions from 115 to 225. The 115 participants who completed demographic information represented 20 countries with the highest representation from the United States (n = 30; 27%) and Australia (n = 23; 21%). The most frequent categories of technology use were intervention programs (59.56%) and compensatory (58.57%) with less frequent selection of service delivery (37.78%) and assessment (20.44%). While the majority of respondents indicated confidence in using technology, 28% expressed neutral or poor confidence. Barriers to uptake of technology included poor access to funding, lack of a client support person, and the confidence, motivation, and cognitive abilities of people with aphasia. Finally, participants reported learning about technology options most frequently from colleagues and/or supervisors, as part of professional development events, and/or from reading research articles.Conclusions Speech-language pathologists reported using a range of technology in clinical practice for various purposes across the four main areas of interest. However, not all respondents reported being confident in using technology. Dissemination of information about technology may reach most speech-language pathologists through word of mouth or professional development sessions. More information is needed about methods which can help speech-language pathologists overcome barriers to technology implementation in their clinical practice.