ABSTRACT
Prior to COVID-19, the large majority of speech-language pathology services were still being provided via in-person care models, despite over a decade of published evidence on the effectiveness of telepractice. However, in reaction to the global pandemic, many aspects of speech-language pathology services were rapidly converted to telepractice to overcome issues of social distancing and infection control. Although there was much success, some clinicians encountered issues implementing telepractice due to the lack of time to redesign service models, limited training and readiness of staff, and resource issues. Relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in some countries has also led to some telepractice models being disbanded, while others failed to transition into an optimal hybrid (telehealth and in-person care) service delivery. Despite these challenges, it is important to recognise that when implemented correctly, telepractice offers many benefits for patients and health services. This chapter will review the challenges and the drivers for telepractice models and examine some of the practices implemented during COVID-19 for managing adult speech-language pathology services. These learnings may help inform future service implementation and encourage further integration and sustainability of telepractice in speech-language pathology.
