Delivering speech and language therapy through telemedicine to adults who stammer

Speech and language therapy services for adults who stammer vary greatly across the UK. This project from Airedale NHS Foundation Trust and the British Stammering Association aimed to improve access to speech and language therapy for people unable to access services in their local area.

It involved a specially trained speech and language therapist delivering a ‘telemedicine’ intervention via free, patient-friendly, web-based teleconferencing. The intervention focused on achieving the individual’s personal goals and equipping them with the skills and strategies needed to effectively live with their stammer.

A total of 64 self-referred patients from across the UK signed up to the project and 29 completed a full episode of care. The project was shown to be life-changing for some people. Pre- and post-therapy evaluations showed a reduction in the negative impacts of stammering on all patients who completed the therapy.

Patients had mixed views before the therapy about how building a relationship with the therapist via telemedicine would compare with face-to-face, but post-therapy all patients reported being comfortable using telemedicine and many preferred learning in their own home rather than in a clinical environment.

The project has won local and national awards for technology innovation, including the Digital and Technology Award in The Guardian’s 2017 Public Service Awards.

Although the technology used to conduct the therapy sessions initially caused problems due to issues with poor connectivity and accessibility for less IT-literate patients, replacing it with a more reliable, intuitive system addressed this.

The project team identified another major area of learning – underestimating how long improvement initiatives can take to gain momentum. The team is currently exploring long-term funding options to secure the continuation and expansion of this valuable service.

Contact information

For more information about this project, please contact Stephanie Burgess, Speech and Language Therapist, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.