Navigating Telehealth for Speech and Language Therapists: The Remotely Possible in 50 Key Points

There is so much to consider in any clinical consultation: identifying the individual is the one you expected, who is with the individual, which therapy intervention, resources, signposting, referrals, being cued in to responses for contextual information, evaluation and outcomes, planning next steps … and this is all before you throw ‘virtual’ in the mix!

This clinical companion presents 50 transferable, adaptable, practical and accessible chapters for speech and language therapists and others working via remote consultations.

Divided into four sections, the book covers:

• The remote practitioner.
• The remote rules.
• Creating a digital tool kit.
• A remotely possible future.

Aimed at students encountering their first remote consultations, newly qualified clinicians with limited practical experience of virtual clinics through to clinicians who are experienced in their own specialities but now need to transfer those skills to remote ways of delivery, this concise text will provide confidence and guidance for the reader. It will also prove useful to clinicians beyond speech and language as many of the skills and practical advice and guidance are applicable in specialities across a range of settings, both public and private, healthcare and education.

Table of Contents

Section 1: The Remote Practitioner, Introduction: The Remotest Possibility,

1. New to Practice: The Practicalities,
2. The Transition: Becoming a Digital Practitioner,
3. Let’s get digital! Clinical training offers to support,
4. Digital Confidence: What does this mean in a clinical context?,
5. Completely Competent? Using digital frameworks to digitally enable clinical workforces,
6. A New Way of Practicing or Just Practicing a New Way?,
7. A Digital Stage!,
8. Are Digital Clinics different? What are they and how are they implemented?,
9. Virtual Voices! Sharing best practice and resources, Section 2: The Remote Rules,

10. The Big Click On: Before a Remote Consultation,

11. Virtual Virgins,

12. Testing Testing,

13. Preparing Individuals for Change,

14. Bringing Individuals on a Digital Journey,

15. Prepare to Prepare,

16. Lights, Camera, Action!,

17. To IG or not IG, that is the question!,

18. Don't be IG-norant,

19. DCB easy as 123: Clinical Safety Standards,

20. Assessing & Mitigating Risk,

21. Safeguarding and Consent: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals,

22. During a Remote Consultation: The Clinican Will See You Now!,

23. Buttons, buttons everywhere!,

24. ‘You’re On Mute’,

25. Guess Who?: Clarifying Identity,

26. I Spy with My Little Eye: Establishing and managing participants,

27. Group Therapy or Digital Party?; Establishing Group Rules,

28. When Security Gets Personal,

29. Remote Rapport: Forever more or nevermore?

30. An Extra Pair of Hands: HCPs as Digital Partners

31. A Tangled Web; Browsers and Windows

32. Closing Conversations

33. Shutdown Ending a Remote Consultation Safely,

Section 3: The Remote Tools: Creating a Digital Toolkit

34. Ease of Access - Windows & You!

35. The Bare Accessibles?

36. You, Me and ASD

37. Seeking Approval

38. Emotionally Speaking - using emoticons to enhance therapy

39. Green Screen Dreams

40. Centre of the careverse - tailoring care plans

41. Team of 1! -creating personalised video content to support therapy programmes

42. Say Ahhh- getting the best intra oral images

43. Getting attached; sharing, receiving and saving attachments safely

44. QR-Lity – utilising QR codes in therapy and evaluation,

Section 4: A Remote Possibly Future

45. Long Term Planning: Developing speech and language therapy services

46. Health Informatics and Beyond: SLT services and digital transformation

47. Digital enhancements of practice; CPD, development etc….

48. Burn baby burn; Managing screen burnout

49. Ensuring Mental Health and Wellbeing

50. Remotely Possible: A Vision for A Digital First Future