TELETHERAPY TODAY DEMAND AND OMORROW REQUIREMENT: NEED ANALYSIS

COVID-19 promoted the use of teletherapy as an alternative to face-to-face treatment that needs to be implemented, which evidences its potential to increase the level of access to and ease of speech-language pathology (SLP) services. Nonetheless, the effectiveness, limitations, and the best implementation methods of the same have not been fully established. The paper was a qualitative study that examined the present needs in teletherapy and found evidence-based needs of successful provision under a wide range of clinical settings. We thematically analyzed semi-structured interviews on 10 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in Lahore, Pakistan, to understand therapists and their experiences, views on effectiveness, clinical issues, and barriers to implementation. Significant benefits of the participants included a high level of cost- and time-efficiency, better accessibility, and better interaction between the caregivers. Nevertheless, significant difficulties also arose, especially when interacting with young children, measuring fidelity to some disorders, and technology availability. Importantly, it was found that teletherapy is not applicable to several conditions such as voice disorders, dysphagia, and complicated hearing-related evaluations. This research paper recognizes significant geographical and demographical constraints that restrict externalization. The evidence indicates that teletherapy is an effective treatment that should be used as a supplement to face-to-face therapy and not as a universal one. To promote the practice standards, stakeholders should define the clinical guidelines of the disorder-specific suitability, come up with a set of standardized assessment protocols, overcome technological challenges, and provide a tight discipline of professional training in the competencies of teletherapy. This research will serve as a basis of policy making and clinical decision making and will indicate the need to be cautious and implement the solution in an evidence-based manner.