The model of access to speech-language pathology services

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Paediatric Healthcare
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Families in Australia encounter difficulties accessing essential paediatric speech-language pathology services.
• Understanding these access barriers is crucial for improving healthcare outcomes for children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factors influencing access to paediatric speech-language pathology services in Western Australia.
• To identify barriers and facilitators impacting service accessibility for children with communication needs.

Main Methods:

• Constructivist grounded theory approach.
• Semi-structured in-depth interviews with 11 speech-language pathologists and 16 caregivers.
• Analysis using constant comparative method and layered coding of interview transcripts.

Main Results:

• Identification of key factors impacting service access, organized into seven categories.
• Development of the Model of Access to Speech-Language Pathology Services (MASPS).
• Model categories and properties are directly derived from participant experiences and perspectives.

Conclusions:

• The developed MASPS offers a theoretical framework for understanding and improving paediatric speech-language pathology service access.
• Service designers and decision-makers can utilize MASPS to enhance consumer experiences.
• MASPS provides a foundation for future research into service access challenges.