Perspectives Of Speech-Language Therapists On Hearing Loss And Collaboration with the Audiology Profession
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/ajpr.v28i1.73Keywords:
Speech-Language Therapist, hearing loss, Audiologist, hearing aid technology, communicationAbstract
The research investigates the crucial gap that exists in low-resource settings by assessing systemic and knowledge-based barriers that block multidisciplinary hearing loss care protocols in Pakistan where this public health problem remains commonly undervalued. This study was conducted to measure speech-language therapists (SLTs) competencies regarding hearing loss care as well as their collaboration difficulties with audiologists. The research design involved first using a structured questionnaire consisting of 20 survey items about demographics and hearing loss knowledge and collaboration perspectives (administered to 20 SLTs in Karachi) then conducting semi-structured interviews with three clinicians to enrich the understanding of quantitative data results. The research data analysis used descriptive statistics and thematic breakdown helping to identify technical knowledge gaps and ways that institutions refer patients and their respective collaborative frameworks. Results showed participants understood basic symptoms well, but their mastery of advanced domains remained limited because they knew only 45% of hearing aid technology content while 75% of them were confused about treatment referral procedures. The research through interviews uncovered that there was organizational fragmentation in SLT practice where partnerships depended on informal communication systems instead of formal regulations and educational programs for SLTs did not produce sufficient interdisciplinary competence. The public healthcare staff faced tremendous pressure because they lacked both proper medical tools and mentorship programs that were available to private sector medical professionals. The research should be extended to rural Pakistan, and audiologists should provide their perspective while implementing policy-driven collaboration models for enhanced service delivery in low-resource environments.
References
1. Ain, Q., & Imtiaz, R. (2025). The Role of Technology in Speech-Language Therapy : Perceptions , Effectiveness , and Challenges in a Resource-Limited Setting. 5(1), 1–8.
2. Borrett, S., & Gould, L. J. (2021). Mental capacity assessment with people with aphasia: understanding the role of the speech and language therapist. Aphasiology, 35(11), 1463–1481. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2020.1819954
3. Burns, J., Keaveney, C., Nieto, N., Connor, R. O., & Moss, H. (2024). Pathology for Pediatric Acquired Communication Impairments : A Phenomenological International Perspective. 1–9.
4. Campillo-Sánchez, J., Borrego-Balsalobre, F. J., Díaz-Suárez, A., & Morales-Baños, V. (2025). Sports and Sustainable Development: A Systematic Review of Their Contribution to the SDGs and Public Health. Sustainability (Switzerland), 17(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020562
5. Collinson, R. (2020). New Zealand speech language therapists’ knowledge of hearing loss and perspectives on collaboration with the audiology profession. February.
https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/100105
6. Coombe, S. (2018). New Zealand Primary school teachers’ Knowledge of hearing impairment and deafness. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 17(3), 291–305. http://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/15434
7. Damiano, D. L., Longo, E., Carolina de Campos, A., Forssberg, H., & Rauch, A. (2021). Systematic Review of Clinical Guidelines Related to Care of Individuals With Cerebral Palsy as Part of the World Health Organization Efforts to Develop a Global Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 102(9), 1764–1774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2020.11.015
8. Dehkordi, S. H., Abdi, K., Hoseinzadeh, S., & Sadeghi, Z. (2024). Research Paper Design and Psychometrics of a Satisfaction Questionnaire for Tele Speech Therapy Services in Tehran. 25(912).
9. Detail @ apps.who.int. (n.d.). https://apps.who.int/whocc/Detail.aspx?PpZM2CAZbKdF/Z49BJb6Eg==
10. Estévez, D., Terrón-lópez, M. J., Velasco-quintana, P. J., Rodríguez-jiménez, R. M., & Álvarez-manzano, V. (2021). A case study of a robot-assisted speech therapy for children with language disorders. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(5), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052771
11. Fulcher, A., Sargeant, A., de Rosnay, M., Hopkins, T., Neal, K., & Davis, A. (2021). Communication that leads to successful social inclusion for children with hearing loss: Are excellent speech and language skills sufficient? Australasian Journal of Special and Inclusive Education, 45(2), 108–121. https://doi.org/10.1017/jsi.2021.12
12. Hambraeus, J., Hambraeus, K. S., & Sahlen, K. G. (2020). Patient perspectives on interventional pain management: Thematic analysis of a qualitative interview study. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05452-7
13. Johnson, C. P., Myers, S. M., Lipkin, P. H., Cartwright, J. D., Desch, L. W., Duby, J. C., Elias, E. R., Levey, E. B., Liptak, G. S., Murphy, N. A., Tilton, A. H., Lollar, D., Macias, M., McPherson, M., Olson, D. G., Strickland, B., Skipper, S. M., Ackermann, J., Del Monte, M., … Yeargin-Allsopp, M. (2007). Identification and evaluation of children with autism spectrum disorders. Pediatrics, 120(5), 1183–1215. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-2361
14. Kobylas, M. M. (2016). Is this thing on ? An Investigation of School- Based Speech-Language Pathologists ’ Knowledge of Hearing Technology. 189. http://openworks.wooster.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8281&context=independentstudy
15. Leal-Kaymalyz, C. G., & Herrera-Lillo, A. (2021). Validity and reliability of the questionnaire that measures the perception of speech-language-hearing therapists regarding the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in speech-language-hearing evaluation and intervention processes. Revista CEFAC, 23(3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-0216/20212335421
16. Mauliddiyah, N. L. (2021). No 主観的健康感を中心とした在宅高齢者における 健康関連指標に関する共分散構造分析Title. March, 6.
17. Minhas, N., Khan, M., & Fatima, M. (2022). The Knowledge of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) about Speech Language Pathology/Therapy (SLP/T) in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 10(4), 1342–1351. https://doi.org/10.52131/pjhss.2022.1004.0292
18. Moroe, N., Nkosi, N., & Sebothoma, B. (2025). Exploring the unemployment crisis among speech therapists and audiologists in South Africa: perspectives on institutional roles, professional bodies, and the path to job creation. BMC Health Services Research, 25(1), 279. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12386-5
19. Moser, S. C. (2010). Communicating climate change: History, challenges, process and future directions. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 1(1), 31–53.
https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.11
20. Papadopoulou, S., Anagnostopoulou, A., Katsarou, D. V., Megari, K., Efthymiou, E., Argyriadis, A., Kougioumtzis, G., Theodoratou, M., Sofologi, M., Argyriadi, A., Pavlidou, E., & Toki, E. I. (2024). Enhancing Communication and Swallowing Skills in Children with Cri Du Chat Syndrome: A Comprehensive Speech Therapy Guide. Children, 11(12), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11121526
21. Rashid, M. F. N., Quar, T. K., Maamor, N., Chong, F. Y., Zakaria, M. N., Mustafa, M. C., & Hosshan, H. (2022). Demystifying the Specific Roles and Challenges of Educational Audiologists: A Narrative Review. 17.
https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2022082017
22. Stanley, C., Miles, A., & Phyland, D. (2025). Is there a doctor in the house? Roles and practices in videofluoroscopic swallowing assessment of structural abnormalities. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 0(0), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2025.2457401
23. Tellier, H. (2025). UNCOpen Speech-Language Pathologists ’ Understanding of Dyslexia and Collaborative Practice.
24. Venkatraman, A., Edlow, B. L., & Immordino-Yang, M. H. (2017). The brainstem in emotion: A review. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 11(March), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnana.2017.00015
25. Vertejee, S., Allana, S., Somani, R., & Aijaz, S. (2020). Perception on service quality in old age homes: A qualitative study in Karachi, Pakistan. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 70(12 A),2205–2209. https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.606
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License permitting all use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
