Chahda Laura, Carey Lindsay B, Mathisen Bernice A, Threats Travis
Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Palliative Care Unit, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
Int J Speech Lang Pathol. 2021 Feb;23(1):57-69. doi: 10.1080/17549507.2020.1730966. Epub 2020 Mar 17.
This research explored the role of Australian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) to identify SLP experiences and practices regarding adult palliative care (PC) management.
Utilising mixed methods, phase one comprised a literature scoping review of SLP practices in PC. Phase two involved a survey compiling demographic data of Australian SLPs working in adult PC. Phase three involved in-depth interviews exploring SLP experiences in PC.
It was found that minimal resources or published literature existed regarding SLPs in PC, however the available literature indicated SLPs can be valuable and influential members of a PC team. Interviewed SLPs acknowledged their proficiency in end-of-life communication and swallowing, nevertheless initially they felt ill-prepared given insufficient knowledge or skills to manage palliative cases based upon their tertiary education and were poorly supported once in the field given a lack of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). Participants also noted a lack of knowledge among medical, nursing and allied health clinicians about a SLP's contribution to PC, causing barriers for SLPs being professionally accepted within palliative environments.
Recommendations included the development of improved resources specifically about SLP practice in end-of-life care, the need for greater exposure at the tertiary level of SLP palliative care practices, and CPGs for SLPs working in adult palliative care.
本研究探讨了澳大利亚言语病理学家（SLP）在识别成人姑息治疗（PC）管理方面的经验和实践中的作用。
采用混合方法，第一阶段包括对PC中SLP实践的文献范围综述。第二阶段涉及一项调查，收集在成人PC领域工作的澳大利亚SLP的人口统计数据。第三阶段涉及深入访谈，探索SLP在PC中的经验。
研究发现，关于PC中SLP的资源或已发表文献极少，但现有文献表明SLP可以成为PC团队中有价值且有影响力的成员。接受访谈的SLP承认他们在临终沟通和吞咽方面的专业能力，然而，基于他们的高等教育，最初他们觉得自己准备不足，因为缺乏管理姑息治疗病例的知识或技能，并且在进入该领域后，由于缺乏临床实践指南（CPG），他们得到的支持很少。参与者还指出，医学、护理和其他健康临床医生对SLP在PC中的贡献缺乏了解，这导致SLP在姑息治疗环境中难以被专业认可。
建议包括开发专门针对临终关怀中SLP实践的改进资源，在高等教育层面增加对SLP姑息治疗实践的曝光度，以及为从事成人姑息治疗的SLP制定CPG。
