None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This project aims to assess the usefulness of telehealth technology for speech and language assessment. The specific aims are: a) to compare the quality of visual and auditory information during an in-person assessment versus assessment via two telehealth methods (custom-built telehealth equipment, and internet-based videoconferencing). b) To compare the cost and feasibility of these three methods. c) To compare the patient, caregiver and therapist's preference for these three methods. Two groups of children will be recruited from the existing speech pathology caseload at the Royal Children's Hospital: 20 pre-school aged children (3 - 5 years) with a history of cancer, and 20 primary school-aged children (6 - 12 years) with a history of cancer. Both groups of children will complete a speech and language screening assessment under 3 conditions (in-person, and via custom-built telehealth and internet-based videoconferencing). All conditions will be simulated at the Royal Children's Hospital. Data collected will include the number of requests for repetition, number of breaks in visual and auditory signal, and total time to complete the assessment. At the end of each assessment the patient, caregiver and therapist will rate the assessment against a standard checklist. After all 3 assessments the patient, caregiver and therapist will rate their preference. A cost and feasibility analysis will be performed based on the participant accessing the different options while living at their residential address.
Interventions
A brief speech and language screening assessment (including a receptive language task, an expressive language task, and a speech task) will be administered to the subjects under 2 telehealth conditions:
a) via real-time video videoconferencing - with visual and audio information transmitted over videoconferencing, and with printed information (e.g., assessment stimulus items) being transmitted from the therapist's computer to the child’s computer using remote access software.
b) via internet-ba
A brief speech and language screening assessment (including a receptive language task, an expressive language task, and a speech task) will be administered to the subjects under 2 telehealth conditions: a) via real-time video videoconferencing - with visual and audio information transmitted over videoconferencing, and with printed information (e.g., assessment stimulus items) being transmitted from the therapist's computer to the child’s computer using remote access software. b) via internet-based real-time video – with visual information transmitted over the internet, audio information transmitted over speaker phone, and printed information (e.g., assessment stimulus items) being transmitted from the therapist’s computer to the child’s computer using remote access software. The children will also complete the screening assessment in-person (comparator condition). The order of these 3 conditions will be random. Each screening assessment will take approximately 15 minutes, and the child will be assessed under all both telehealth conditions and also the in-person condition (comparator) on one day. All conditions will be simulated at the Royal Children's Hospital (for the videoconferencing and internet-based conditions the therapist will be located in another part of the hospital). The parent or caregiver will be present in the room with the child during all conditions. Similar but different receptive and expressive language screening tasks will be administered in each condition to avoid the test-retest effect. As each assessment is very short (15 minutes duration), there will be no “wash-out” period and the children will be assessed in each of the 2 telehealth conditions and also the comparator condition (in-person) consecutively. Children will be divided up into two groups: the preschool-aged group (3 – 5 years) and the school-aged group (6 – 12 years). The screening assessment for the preschool-aged group will consist of: a) The Diagnostic Screener and Oromotor Assessment subtests from the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP) (Pearson Clinical Assessment). This will be administered in both telehealth conditions and also the in-person (comparator) condition. b) The Preschool Language Scale – 4th Edition Screening Test (PLS-4 Screener) (Pearson Clinical Assessment). This will be administered in 1 condition only (random selection - may be administered in either of the telehealth conditions or the in-person (comparator) condition). c) Selected items from the Preschool Language Scale – 4th Edition (PLS-4) (Pearson Clinical Assessment). Selected items will be chosen to mirror similar items in the screening test. Two different sets of items will be administered in the other two conditions (random selection). The screening assessment for the 6 – 12 years age group will consist of: a) The Diagnostic Screener and Oromotor Assessment subtests from the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP) (Pearson Clinical Assessment). This will be administered in both telehealth conditions and also the in-person (comparator) condition. b) The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals – 4th Edition Screening Test (CELF-4 Screener) (Pearson Clinical Assessment). This will be administered in 1 condition only (random selection - may be administered in either of the telehealth conditions or the in-person (comparator) condition). c) Selected items from the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals – 4th Edition (CELF-4) (Pearson Clinical Assessment). Selected items will be chosen to mirror similar items in the screening test. Two different sets of items will be administered in the other two conditions (random selection). Following assessment under all 3 conditions the child will return on another day (within one month of the first day) for a comprehensive speech and language assessment. This will be administered in-person. The comprehensive assessment for the preschool-aged group will consist of: a) The Articulation and Phonology subtests from the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP) (Pearson Clinical Assessment). b) The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Preschool – 2nd Edition (CELF-P2) (Pearson Clinical Assessment). The comprehensive assessment for the school-aged group will consist of: a) The Articulation and Phonology subtests from the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP) (Pearson Clinical Assessment). b) The Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language (CASL) (Pearson Clinical Assessment).
Sponsors
Ms Olivia Taylor
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Crossover
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
3 Years to 12 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Children with cancer who are already seen by a speech pathologist at the Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane.
Exclusion criteria
a) Participants whose first language is other than English. b) Participants who are palliative or acutely unwell at the time of the study. c) Participants who are not suitable for standardised speech and language assessment (e.g., children with severely delayed language, severe attention deficits).
Outcome results
None listed