TY - JOUR
T1 - Waiting lists and prioritization of children for services
T2 - Speech-language pathologists' perspectives
AU - McGill, Nicole
AU - McLeod, Sharynne
AU - Crowe, Kathryn
AU - Wang, Cen
AU - Hopf, Suzanne C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/5/4
Y1 - 2021/5/4
N2 - BackgroundWaiting
lists occur when the availability of speech-language pathology services
does not meet the demand. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) commonly
manage waiting lists and their consequences using prioritization.AimsThe
aims of this study were to: (1) describe speech-language pathology
waiting lists for children and factors associated with their presence in
workplaces throughout the world, and (2) describe factors considered in
and influencing SLPs’ prioritization of children for services.MethodsA
questionnaire about pediatric waiting lists and prioritization was
completed by 267 SLPs from 10 countries working in health, disability,
education, and private sectors. Valid responses to closed questions from
264 SLPs were analyzed quantitatively.ResultsMost
(73.6 %) SLPs reported having a waiting list in their workplace.
Waiting lists were most common in community health centres (97.4 %).
Waiting times ranged from 0 to 42 months (M = 8.09, SD = 5.84).
High priority was assigned to infants (77.4 %), toddlers (65.3 %),
children with feeding difficulties (88.5 %), and children who stutter
(47.4 %). Prioritization parameters ranked as most important were:
severity (M = 4.34), availability of resources (M = 4.11), diagnosis (M = 4.04), and age (M = 3.91).ConclusionsMany
workplaces have long waiting lists for speech-language pathology
services. Young children, feeding, and stuttering were most often
considered high priority; however, prioritization can be complex,
implicit, and influenced by external factors. Collaborative development
of explicit, transparent waiting list and prioritization guidelines
within workplaces, and the development and evaluation of active waiting
strategies for children and families are recommended.
AB - BackgroundWaiting
lists occur when the availability of speech-language pathology services
does not meet the demand. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) commonly
manage waiting lists and their consequences using prioritization.AimsThe
aims of this study were to: (1) describe speech-language pathology
waiting lists for children and factors associated with their presence in
workplaces throughout the world, and (2) describe factors considered in
and influencing SLPs’ prioritization of children for services.MethodsA
questionnaire about pediatric waiting lists and prioritization was
completed by 267 SLPs from 10 countries working in health, disability,
education, and private sectors. Valid responses to closed questions from
264 SLPs were analyzed quantitatively.ResultsMost
(73.6 %) SLPs reported having a waiting list in their workplace.
Waiting lists were most common in community health centres (97.4 %).
Waiting times ranged from 0 to 42 months (M = 8.09, SD = 5.84).
High priority was assigned to infants (77.4 %), toddlers (65.3 %),
children with feeding difficulties (88.5 %), and children who stutter
(47.4 %). Prioritization parameters ranked as most important were:
severity (M = 4.34), availability of resources (M = 4.11), diagnosis (M = 4.04), and age (M = 3.91).ConclusionsMany
workplaces have long waiting lists for speech-language pathology
services. Young children, feeding, and stuttering were most often
considered high priority; however, prioritization can be complex,
implicit, and influenced by external factors. Collaborative development
of explicit, transparent waiting list and prioritization guidelines
within workplaces, and the development and evaluation of active waiting
strategies for children and families are recommended.
KW - Caseload management
KW - Children
KW - Prioritization
KW - Service delivery
KW - Speech-language pathology
KW - Waiting
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2021.106099
DO - 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2021.106099
M3 - Article
C2 - 33962247
AN - SCOPUS:85107714839
SN - 0021-9924
VL - 91
SP - 1
EP - 16
JO - Journal of Communication Disorders
JF - Journal of Communication Disorders
M1 - 106099
ER -