ERIC Number: ED583871
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Sep
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Telepractice vs. On-Site Treatment: Are Outcomes Equivalent for School-Age Children? EBP Briefs. Volume 10, Issue 2
Rudolph, Johanna M.; Rudolph, Stephen
EBP Briefs (Evidence-based Practice Briefs)
Clinical Question: Do school-age children receiving treatment for speech, language, and/or communication disorders show equivalent benefit from telepractice-based intervention as from on-site intervention as shown by comparable improvement in speech, language, and communication skills across the two treatment platforms? Method: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Study Sources: PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Mendeley Search Terms: telepractice OR telehealth OR telemedicine OR telerehabilitation OR telecare OR telespeech AND speech OR language OR communication AND interven* OR treat* OR therap* AND child*. Number of Included Studies: 6. Primary Results: All studies reported equivalent or greater improvement in the telepractice group; however, the confidence intervals associated with the effect sizes were large. Effect size was negatively correlated with study quality with studies of poorer quality reporting larger effects (in favor of telepractice) and studies of higher quality reporting smaller or negative effects (in favor of on-site). Meta-analysis of the effect sizes from the three studies of highest quality yielded a wide confidence interval (-0.56 to 0.20) suggesting that the true effect size could range from a moderate effect in favor of on-site to a small effect in favor of telepractice. Conclusions: Although telepractice appears to be a promising platform for delivering speech and language services to school-age children, there is not yet sufficient evidence to confirm that outcomes resulting from treatment provided via telepractice are equivalent to those resulting from on-site treatment. Future studies exploring this question should focus on obtaining adequate sample sizes to meet power requirements, employing suitable controls, and implementing other quality metrics to ensure the validity and reliability of results.
Descriptors: Intervention, Intermode Differences, Comparative Analysis, Speech Language Pathology, Communication Disorders, Speech Impairments, Language Impairments, Electronic Learning, Conventional Instruction, Meta Analysis, Literature Reviews, Evidence Based Practice, Educational Quality, Effect Size, Outcomes of Treatment, Elementary Education
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Publication Type: Information Analyses; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Pearson
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A