The surge in telehealth during COVID-19: Implications of geospatial analysis on service planning for regional speech pathology consumers.
Sue-Ellen Hogg1, Vincent Learnihan2, Kimberley Davis1, Marcus Blake21Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, NSW, Australia2University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Abstract
Background: The benefits of telehealth are well documented, and when utilisation grew rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, speech pathology services were well-positioned to adopt this mode of delivery. As the service emerged from restrictions and looked towards future planning, the need to understand who was and wasn’t taking up telehealth, and potential barriers to access, became apparent.
Aim: To investigate the utilisation of telehealth as a service delivery mode in speech pathology services across a regional-rural district of NSW.
Method: All speech pathology occasions of service between 2018 and 2021 were extracted based on Australian Tier 2 Non-Admitted Services Classification. Australian Bureau of Statistics data including area level socioeconomic disadvantage and remoteness were linked using ABS geography. The spatial distribution of services were mapped by volume and delivery mode.
Results: The rapid uptake of telehealth saw an overall 8% growth in speech pathology services during the pandemic years. Proportionally, less uptake of telehealth was found for older patients and those in the most disadvantaged areas, despite being high service users. Spatial mapping demonstrated geographical changes in service utilisation across this period.
Discussion: Telehealth is an effective service delivery mode for many speech pathology consumers, and providing a range of service delivery options is critical, especially where there are significant distances to care. Disparity in uptake based on age, geographical, and economic factors suggest there are barriers that hinder equitable access to telehealth. Opportunities for clinical practice change, including strategies for reducing barriers to equitable access, will be discussed.
Biography
Sue-Ellen Hogg is a speech pathologist and researcher who is currently working as the Head of Discipline for Speech Pathology across the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (NSW). She has 16 years’ experience leading and managing speech pathology and multidisciplinary teams and is passionate about improving access and equity of services. She is currently involved in a number of local and national research projects focused on the translation of research into practice.