Awareness of audiology and speech-language pathology services among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia.
Ahmad A Alanazi, Mohammed F ALHarbi, Abrar M AlMutairi and 2 others
PMID 38949430WHAT IT FOUND
Healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia generally understood the roles of audiologists and speech-language pathologists, but few had actually referred patients to them.
While most knew these services exist, the study found a gap between awareness and clinical collaboration, suggesting referral pathways remain unclear.
Key findings
01The majority of participants correctly identified the job of a speech-language pathologist (95.3%) and an audiologist (92.6%).
02Despite high awareness of the professions, 64% of participants reported never having worked with or referred patients to an audiologist or speech-language pathologist.
03Approximately 20% of participants incorrectly believed that speech-language pathologists do the same work as special education teachers, or that audiologists do the same work as teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was heavily skewed toward young, Saudi, allied health professionals and those from the Riyadh region, limiting generalisability to other demographics or regions. The study used convenience sampling, which introduces selection bias as participants were self-selected. The questionnaire was newly developed and validated only in this specific context, so results may not transfer to other settings. The study measured self-reported awareness, which may not reflect actual clinical behaviour or knowledge depth.
Declared interests
The authors declared no funding from any public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that high self-reported awareness of the profession translates to effective interprofessional collaboration. The study shows a disconnect: while most knew the job descriptions, the majority had never referred a patient, indicating that awareness alone does not drive usage.