Telehealth and in-person placements: Same, same, but different. A mixed methods investigation of speech and language therapy students' and practice educators' experiences and perceptions.
Donna C Thomas, Rebecca Sutherland, Natalie Munro and 4 others
PMID 39977726WHAT IT FOUND
Speech therapy students and educators found telehealth placements valuable for learning specific skills like caregiver coaching and technical adaptability.
However, they reported that telehealth placements were not equivalent to in-person ones, with students missing out on incidental learning and professional workplace norms.
Key findings
01Most students and educators agreed that telehealth placements develop different skills than in-person placements, with telehealth facilitating caregiver coaching and technical skills while in-person placements better support behavior management and professionalism.
02Students and educators perceived telehealth placements as more challenging due to the need for multitasking, higher cognitive load, and difficulties in engaging clients without physical proximity.
03When students were not co-located with their educators, they missed incidental learning opportunities, such as informal interactions and observing workplace norms, which negatively impacted their sense of connection and professional development.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study participants were all from Australia and the students were from a single university, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other contexts. Students and educators did not necessarily describe the same specific placements, which may affect the direct comparison of their experiences. The research team consisted entirely of female speech and language therapy academics, which may have influenced the interpretation of the data due to lack of diverse professional perspectives in the analysis team.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that telehealth placements are inferior or should be avoided. The findings indicate that telehealth develops distinct, valuable skills such as caregiver coaching and technical adaptability, but it does not fully replicate the incidental learning and professional socialization of in-person placements. A balanced curriculum that includes both modalities is recommended.