ABSTRACT NUMBER: ESOC2026A329 MAPPING THE ROLE OF SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPISTS IN INTERNATIONAL STROKE TEAMS – A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract Background and aims Current published guidelines suggest that speech and language therapists (SLTs) should be part of stroke teams, but their involvement and roles according to country income are unknown. This review aims to (1) investigate the level of involvement of SLTs in acute stroke management, rehabilitation, and longtercare, and (2) examine whether the roles and contributions of SLTs in stroke care vary according to a country’s income level. Methods A systematic review methodology was conducted by an expert librarian and three independent researchers based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. This systematic review was registered on the PROSPERO website. The search strategy involved using MESH Terms ‘speech and language therapy’ AND stroke AND team* across six databases as follows: MEDLINE Complete, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL Plus, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. The review was conducted using the Covidence software. Results Out of 1142 titles identified, 42 studies met the criteria: 34 studies (80%) were from high-income countries, five (12%) were from upper–middle-income countries, and three (8%) were from low-middle-income countries (LMICs). No studies were published in low-income countries. Conclusions Lack of SLTs reported in stroke and rehabilitation teams in LMICs raises concern for patients’ access to specialized SLT services. Healthcare policy should highlight the need for greater investment in SLT resources and the role of SLTs in managing aphasia, dysphagia, and chronic rehabilitation needs to improve patient outcomes. Conflict of interest Nothing to disclose