Uptake of telepractice among speech-language therapists following COVID-19 pandemic in India

ABSTRACT Uptake of telepractice has drastically increased among speech-language therapists (SLTs) following the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore the sudden uptake of telepractice in India among SLTs. An online survey consisting of 20 questions was carried out between 4 and 17 May 2020 using Google form. The participants comprised of SLTs who indicated that they had shifted their services to telepractice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize the findings. Eighty-four SLTs participated in the study, working across different work settings and from 21 to 53 years of age. Forty-nine percent of SLTs had conducted more than 11 telepractice sessions, 89% conducted only individual sessions. Further, 85% had a mostly paediatric caseload with 75% working with child language disorders. They learnt about telepractice in a range of ways including from colleagues (19%), social media and the internet (18%), formal education (24%), reading (8%) and experience (8%). Overall, SLTs exhibited a positive attitude towards the use of telepractice. The most common platform used was WhatsApp video calling feature (82%), although more than one platform was being used. The greatest challenges faced were dealing with network issues (38%) and lack of cooperation from the child during sessions (27%). The findings highlight an acceptance and uptake towards telepractice. This might pave the path for serious consideration for telepractice in the field of speech-language therapy in India in the future.