Impact of Virtual Care on Speech‐Language Services

What is already known on this subject Virtual care has been provided in speech-language pathology for many years but primarily in select circumstances for children living in remote areas. Speech-language care dramatically changed in many countries due to the required lock-down during the COVID-19 pandemic. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge This study provides updated information about the perceptions of effectiveness of virtual care for children based on the unplanned experiences of speech-language pathologists in Canada who were forced to rapidly implement a new service model. The findings suggest that overall practitioners adapted quickly and judged their services to be effective. Positive aspects of care included improved caregiver coaching, greater caregiver engagement and better work-life balance for practitioners. Primary barriers included the family's access to technology and the challenges of delivering care to children with complex needs. What are the potential or actual clinical implications for this work? This study supports the feasibility and effectiveness of speech-language care delivered virtually to children. This service model may result in improvements in both caregiving coaching and caregiver engagement. Most practitioners prefer shifting their post-pandemic services to hybrid models of care.