Speech-Language Pathologists' Use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Adult Patients With...

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) primarily assess patients with cognitive-communication disorders using performance-based measures. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) may also prove useful in clinical practice with these populations, as they can capture applied communication constructs with subjective or unobservable elements (e.g., cognitive fatigue). We conducted a survey to gain insight into SLPs' clinical use of PROMs with these populations.

Ninety-five SLPs responded to 26 survey items that explored SLPs' (a) current use of PROMs in clinical care for adults with cognitive-communication disorders, (b) needs and barriers related to PROM use in clinical practice, and (c) gaps and needs with respect to the measurement of patient health-related quality of life. A convergent mixed-methods design was used to analyze qualitative and quantitative survey responses. Free-response questions were coded using a conventional content analysis.

Forty percent of respondents reported using PROMs with their patients with cognitive-communication disorders, most often for goal setting, followed by assessing treatment effects. SLPs also reported barriers to PROM use with patients with cognitive-communication disorders, such as patient insight deficits and limited time. The identified barriers of poor implementation and dissemination have implications for future research directions.

The survey findings suggest that many SLPs do not currently use PROMs with patients who have cognitive-communication disorders, but those who do find them useful for goal setting. Survey findings also indicate several barriers that limit broader adoption of PROMs for this clinical population, which should be addressed through future implementation research and clinical initiatives such as creating PROM education for SLPs.