|
Issue Focus: 2007 ASHA Health Care Survey
Treatment Tips | Breaking News | What's New on ASHA.org | Featured Question
For Your Professional Development | Shop ASHA | Announcements
Welcome to Access SLP Health Care, ASHA's bimonthly e-newsletter that addresses the specific needs of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in health care. If you have not already subscribed, send a blank e-mail with the word "subscribe" in the subject line to: Access-SLPhealthcare-request@lists.asha.org. If you know colleagues who might enjoy this newsletter, please forward this e-mail.
Be a Part of the Access SLP Health Care Community!
Share Your Treatment Tips
Tell us what is working for you and improving the services you provide. Do you use an old tool in a new way? Have you streamlined your documentation? Are you able to manage cancellations and no-shows in your facility? Share what works for you with your colleagues!
Treatment Tip Submission Form
This month's tip comes from Ruth Renee Hannibal of Valdosta State University in Valdosta, GA.
When teaching clients/patients Independent Activities of Daily Living (IADL), such as functional math, organization, and problem-solving for shopping, I encourage my students to save clean and empty food containers or other containers and also to purchase travel-size personal hygiene items for therapy use. The items are organized so that the client would have to search for the appropriate item on his or her list and put it in a cart or bag. Instead of doing a one-dimensional activity (paper and pencil), students set up the therapy room as if the patient were going shopping to purchase some groceries or other items. I encourage the use of "real money" so that the patient's money skills can also be assessed. The idea is to see if the patient can organize, make a purchase, give the correct amount of money, and then count to see if the correct change has been received. This works wonders for all patients because every item is tangible. Additionally, this activity is more functional and provides a "hands-on" approach. Once that task has been mastered, the paper-and-pencil task is better understood.
Return to Top
Breaking News!
- New ICD-9 Codes for Swallowing
Effective October 1, 2007, new codes are available for dysphagia. Learn more about these codes and how to use them.
- Supervision Matters!
New Web resources on Graduate Student Supervision now available.
- Cultural Competence Corner
ASHA recently added information on voice and communication therapy for transgender/transsexual clients to the "For the Public" section of the Web site.
- New Practice Recommendations for Individuals with Dementia
The Alzheimer's Association recently unveiled its newest dementia care practice guidelines specific to end-of-life care. ASHA participated in the development of these recommendations and has accepted the final product.
- Need CEUs? Try ASHA's BookTalk
Gather your colleagues, pick a textbook, and start learning. Find out more about ASHA's newest continuing education program.
- ICF Updates Available from the CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site includes information about the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Subscribe for e-mail notification of updates to the information. Don't forget, ASHA also has ICF information online.
Return to Top
Did You Know About ASHA's Online Practice Policy Documents?
ASHA documents, including all official policy documents, technical reports, and relevant papers are available online to members and non-members. Documents are presented in HTML format, with an option to read or print in PDF format as well. Browse by topic, document type, or year. Use these documents in your daily practice, for advocacy, or to share with others who are interested.
Return to Top
Featured Question - 2007 ASHA Health Care Survey
What information is available about current speech-language pathology practice in health care settings?
Results from the 2007 ASHA Health Care Survey are now available. Reports on frequency, caseload, workload, salary, and methodology are available online. Some highlights from the survey include:
- The number of respondents indicating that they have funded, unfilled positions at their facility dropped slightly from 41% in 2005 to 38% in 2007. The largest change occurred in home health, which saw a 10% drop (from 48% to 38%) in facilities indicating they had openings.
- Paperwork remained a top challenge for SLPs employed in health care, as did high productivity requirements and insufficient reimbursement for needed services. On a brighter note, however, the number of people who chose insufficient reimbursement as a top challenge dropped from 53% in 2005 to 49% this year.
- The number of respondents choosing "unsatisfactory salary/benefits" dropped from 33% in 2005 to 25% in 2007.
- Twenty-six percent of respondents indicated that they provide early intervention (birth to 3) services.
- Productivity requirements have not changed in the past few years. Most respondents reported spending 75% of their day in direct patient care (excluding documentation, meetings, phone calls, etc.).
- The percentage of respondents who indicated that professionals other than SLPs provided primary swallowing services in their facility has been slowly decreasing over the past five years (15% in 2002, 13% in 2005, 12% in 2007).
- Nineteen percent indicated that they are the owner or co-owner of a private practice.
Again, the full report of this survey, as well as trend reports, are available online. Results of the 2002 and 2005 surveys are also archived on the Web.
Return to Top
Find a course that's right for you.
Return to Top
Visit ASHA's online store.
Return to Top
Announcements
Online Dues Renewal Now Available!
Go green—hit the online renewal scene! More than 50,000 of your ASHA and NSSLHA colleagues renewed online for 2007, and you can, too. It's fast, easy, and secure—plus, it's better for the planet. No paper, no stamps, no waste. All you need is your Visa or MasterCard and your ASHA ID number to renew using our secure Web site.
Bonus!! Renew online through November 30, 2007, and receive a 20% discount* on all ASHA Professional Development programs.
*Discount expires December 31, 2007 and cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer not valid on volume discount products, convention, conferences, meetings, or past purchases. Phone, mail, e-mail, or faxed orders are not eligible. Valid on online purchases only!
Attention Special Interest Division Affiliates!
Perspectives is Going GREEN to Save Some GREEN in 2008
In 2008, Special Interest Division member publications, Perspectives, will be published online only. The Divisions are going to this new format:
-
To save some GREEN. Increases in content and frequency of publication, coupled with increasing postage costs, have put a strain on Division budgets. Publishing online only will free up resources that can be allocated to other Division programs and member benefits.
-
To be more GREEN. Online publishing is a positive step environmentally; it saves resources (paper, energy) associated with publishing hardcopy.
-
To respond to affiliates' interests in accessing content online.
-
To provide new benefits (e.g., archived issues).
Get Discovered!
Sign Up For ProSearch - ASHA's Free Referral Service
Want to meet your patient needs more effectively? ProSearch, ASHA's online directory of audiology and speech-language pathology programs, helps consumers find quality services from more than 10,300 programs that employ ASHA-certified SLPs and audiologists.
Nominations for the Robert L. Moody Prize for Distinguished Initiatives in Brain Injury Research and Rehabilitation are now being accepted. The purpose is to recognize and honor individuals or groups whose efforts have made significant contributions toward advancing clinical research related to disorders of the brain; to develop improved treatment and rehabilitation procedures; and to increase awareness for the need for rehabilitation of individuals following brain injury. Nominations are due November 15. The prize includes a $10,000 honorarium.
Be an Ambassador for the Professions!
Recruitment materials are available for career fairs and presentations.
Return to Top
Received this from a friend? Why wait? Subscribe today by sending a blank email with the word "subscribe" in the subject line to Access-SLPhealthcare-request@lists.asha.org.
Watch for the next issue of Access SLP Health Care in November 2007.
ASHA Research (a Member benefit) | ASHA Journals | Coding & Reimbursement (a Member benefit) | SLPs in Health Care (a Member benefit) | Office of Multicultural Affairs | Special Interest Divisions
|