The speech-language pathologist's role in multidisciplinary burn care: An international perspective

Area of Science:

• Burn Care
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Multidisciplinary Team

Background:

• Speech-language pathology (SLP) plays a role in the rehabilitation of burn patients.
• Understanding the global scope of SLP in burn care is essential for developing consistent educational and clinical guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the international practices and scope of speech-language pathology (SLP) services within burn care settings.
• To inform the education, training, and clinical practice of the burns multidisciplinary team (MDT).

Main Methods:

• An online survey with 17 questions was administered to health professionals involved in burn care.
• The survey explored the availability and scope of SLP practice in burn units.
• Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data.

Main Results:

• 240 health professionals from 37 countries across 6 continents participated.
• SLP services are accessible on all continents, with largely uniform referral criteria.
• The primary role of SLP involved assessment and management of dysphagia, in collaboration with the MDT.

Conclusions:

• Speech-language pathology has an established, albeit emerging, international presence in burn care.
• Findings provide a foundation for standardizing SLP's role in burn rehabilitation globally.