Telepractice, or remote speech therapy using telecommunications technology, can help address barriers to treatment for aphasia patients. Transportation costs, travel time, and lack of accessibility due to distance have made speech therapy inaccessible for many patients. Telepractice allows therapy to continue when patients are remote from providers. It provides an alternative to patients not receiving treatment due to accessibility issues. Implementing telepractice for aphasia therapy could help the large number of patients who are currently unable to receive needed treatment.
2. THE COST AND TIME VARIABLES FOR SPEECH THERAPY FOR
APHASIA PATIENTS HAS BECOME UNACCEPTABLE VIA TODAY’S
MODERN RESSION/DEPRESSION
• THERE ARE MAY ASPECTS FO THIS SITUATION:
1. Gas prices until recently rose to $4.00 to $5.00/gallon nationally. Now
prices have “leveled off” to approximately $2.00/gallon nationally
being unacceptable especially for Aphasia patients.
2. Remoteness of serviceability for patients has proved to be a deterrent
to one-on-one Therapy sessions accessibility.
3. With remoteness and high transportation costs and long travel times
for physical accessibility fatigue and reduced mobility limit service.
4. The disruption of other family members serves as a negative effect of
long distance accessibility.
5. The need for the patient to travel , to see the SLP disrupts the patient’s
real life situation.
3. Telepractice, which is “the use of telecommunications technology for medical
diagnostic monitoring and therapeutic purposes when distance separates the
users” is the variable alternative to no therapy due to the above mentioned
accessibility factors. In South Carolina alone which has a need for at least 2000+
SLPs less than 1000 SLPs are available.
4. Telepractice for Aphasic clients
• Clearly it is time that we augment the computer and webcam for long distance Aphasia Therapy. Approximately 67% of those who have
Aphasia are unable to receive treatment because of long distances. I think we, as a productive civilization, owe those who brought us
into this world a chance to “keep up” and continue to be productive and contribute to America as it is today. Otherwise there is an
excellent chance that the good old USA as we know it now will deteriorate to a third world power if even power is allowed our
civilization. We need the resources of all our citizens to keep us on top. I don’t want to imagine a world where we are a third rate power
and mostly because we are not helping our stroke victims because of above listed reasons. Therapists get the computers and webcams
and get assistance setting up systems on your work stations as well as patients residences. Isn’t using the wheel for transportation better
than inventing it and then carrying it on your back? You have nothing to lose but extra unneeded weight both in mind and body.
