Telehealth has changed how many speech language therapists provide therapeutic services. Often helping make service more accessible and cost-effective for many clients.
Take control of your schedule and calendar from your desktop or mobile app. Use automated appointment reminders and our fully integrated video calling tool to maximize your productivity.
Take control of your schedule and calendar from your desktop or mobile app. Use automated appointment reminders and our fully integrated video calling tool to maximize your productivity.
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Speech and language therapy is a common form of therapy that has been popularized over recent years. It concerns the treatment and support for children and adults who have issues communicating, eating, swallowing, or drinking. It aims to alleviate speech impediments and improve pronunciation, which may involve care for strengthening particular muscles used in speech. There’s no particular disorder that speech and language therapy caters toward, rather, any individual who has difficulties with their speech can reap benefits from the treatment. These could include language disorders, where individuals struggle developing and forming sentences or remembering words, or specific speech disorders where talking fluently is a challenge. If patients have a strained or raspy voice or suffer from vocal nodules, speech language therapy can also be effective. There are an abundance of resources to help contribute to your understanding of SPL, including CPT codes for speech therapy, and hopefully, through this article, you can better come to terms with the benefits of teletherapy as a way to elevate your service.
It helps to firstly wrap your head around the common disorders that are often treated by speech and language therapy. While there are a variety of problems that can be assessed, and there’s certainly no limit, it’s often the case that individuals suffering from these problems are evaluated. For more information, please refer to our assessment guide for speech language therapy.
This refers to any difficulty in pronouncing words clearly or talking fluently, particularly in the case of children who may have a lisp or peculiar word rearrangement. While these can be developmentally attributed, they can also be psychological or neurological in nature. As a sub disorder, there are also fluency-specific speech problems that can disrupt the flow and may entail stuttering, repetition, pauses, and abnormally fast pronunciation.
Individuals with these disorders may have trouble naming objects, and building complete sentences, as well as delayed learning in terms of speech production. They can almost always be attributed to brain injuries or diseases, such as strokes.
This affects the movement of muscles, meaning it can be difficult for individuals to transport food down their throat. Quite often, this can be caused by diseases of the nervous system, such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, Lyme disease, and/or a head injury. Sometimes this can be life-threatening in the case that food is inhaled into the lungs.
Any change in the voice, including hoarseness, strain, and rasp, can warrant speech and language therapy treatment. Conversely, if the voice cracks easily, speaks too loudly or quietly, or breathing is incorrect, therapy could be a viable option, especially for those with vocal nodules.
Teletherapy can be a great adoption within your speech and language therapy practice, especially with how healthcare has changed following COVID-19. With shortages in staff and growing waitlists, it’s no surprise that teletherapy is quickly becoming one of the most preferred options in regard to healthcare delivery. Clients can access speech-language therapy from the comfort of their homes, without having to worry about transport or physical distancing. Virtual services are on the rise, and with teletherapy improving outcomes and increasing customer satisfaction, not to mention broadening patient reach, it’s a highly viable practice to consider adopting within your clinic. Its flexibility ensures that your patients can continue to receive high-quality care, often at lower costs. Teletherapy is an excellent complementary feature to your services, and incorporating its use will allow you to stand out amongst competitors, and boost your customer reception.
If you’re still unconvinced, let's go into more detail concerning how teletherapy can significantly add value to your speech-language practice across operations; whether this is for SOAP notes, your billing information, or purely therapy services!
Because teletherapy is easily accessible with low barriers to entry, it’s no secret that you’ll likely see an influx of patients. And as you know, higher numbers equal greater revenue! Introducing teletherapy may be one of the best decisions you ever make, as you can broaden your clientele, and ensure you have a steady stream of income that’s ready for investment in growing your clinic.
Enjoy your day-to-day, and maximize your time in the way that you want to. Because teletherapy is completely virtual, you can easily log in to conduct sessions without having to worry about having to travel and commute. You can fit in as many patients as you want to suit your level of resources and different periods of growth.
Teletherapy is undoubtedly one of the best strategies to eliminate the possibility of your patients missing their appointments. Clients don’t have to travel to appointments or worry about parking, and they can access each session from the comfort of their own homes, increasing their likelihood of attendance.
Sometimes patients actually feel more comfortable participating in speech and language therapy online, as it allows clients to operate privately from the comfort of their own homes. In-person offices can create a sterile atmosphere which can be quite anxiety-inducing, whereas virtual meetings allow you to facilitate a relaxed and personal environment.
Teletherapy’s flexibility means that you can process a higher number of patients on your own time, and along with that, comes significantly shorter wait times. Patients don’t have to spend time sitting around in waiting rooms or driving to their appointment, and can instead receive care instantly. It’s far simpler, and honestly, far more enjoyable for professionals and patients alike.
Because teletherapy eliminates the need for waiting rooms, it’s impossible for clients to run into those they may know, which can certainly make things awkward for hesitant patients. Having online services allow patients to maintain privacy to whatever degree they prefer, which also encourages more honest and transparent conversations concerning their speech difficulties. It’s a win-win!
With teletherapy, you can significantly lower costs by decreasing overhead. No longer do you have to make budget cuts in having to make rent, or pay for office supplies, utilities, and furniture, as all services can be delivered remotely. The same goes for patients themselves, as taking sessions from home eliminates the need for child care, as well as gas or public transport costs.
With online scheduling and billing systems, you can communicate with patients across channels, and access all information in just one place. This significantly reduces your chances of getting lines crossed, and can lead to more open communication, which ultimately improves clinical outcomes!
While any healthcare professional in the speech and language industry can utilize teletherapy services, there are some tips and tricks that you should keep in mind to make the most of your time and resources.
There are a wide variety of platforms out there that you can consider within your services, and each of them provides its own set of unique benefits. It’s important that you evaluate your business goals and needs, as well as set aside time to research your options. Choosing a platform that has high video resolution, as well as encryption, can ensure you deliver high-quality therapy without compromising on privacy.
Scheduling reminders are a great way to retain clients and minimize no-shows. Not only are no-shows intensely frustrating to deal with, but they can also have severe costs for your business. The best part is, you don’t need to lift a finger! The right teletherapy platforms should have automated reminders, so you don’t have to worry about making mental notes each time a client should be notified.
Make sure that you’re in a quiet location, away from pets, children, and other distractions, to ensure that you’re giving your patient your undivided attention. Having a bright background with only select furnishings will ensure that the client is the main focus, and alleviate any concerns or anxieties they may have.
Keep in mind that not everyone may have had access to virtual treatment before, and so many patients may be going in completely blind. It’s important to ensure you’re all on the same page, and that your clients are aware of what types of services and support you’re able to provide.
Teletherapy is one of the greatest ways to elevate the quality of your speech-language therapy practice, and incorporating it within your operations can significantly boost client satisfaction and help you achieve KPIs. You can continue to foster meaningful relationships, without the need for expensive costs, or having to waste time commuting to appointments. You can work however you want to, and save time and money in order to continue investing and growing your practice. We recognize that it can be difficult to get started, however, hopefully, this guide has provided you with more confidence in pursuing its implementation!
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