METHOD: A web-based questionnaire was developed to obtain information about SLPs' practises during assessment, planning and treatment.
RESULT: A total of 53 SLPs completed the questionnaire. When assessing the children, participants either always or usually involved parents, suggesting that they understood the importance of family involvement in services provided. When planning goals, the SLPs relied mostly on their clinical experience and less on research evidence. Participants reported that, most often, they employed a one-to-one approach when providing treatment. There was, however, great variation in the frequency of treatment provided, reflecting the different workplaces of participants.
CONCLUSION: Generally, findings from this study indicated that some practises employed by Malaysian SLPs when managing children with SLD in the DLS are on par with the best practise guidelines, but there is still room for improvement in certain areas such as team collaboration and evidence-based practise. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
METHOD: A mixed method design incorporating quantitative and qualitative data was used to increase credibility, validity and comprehensiveness of the results. Thirty-eight hospitals (Malaysia = 21, Queensland = 17) participated in Phase 1 (quantitative component) of the study involving completion of an infrastructure checklist by a speech-language pathologist from each hospital regarding availability of networking and communication, staffing and financial support, facilities and documentation of guidelines for dysphagia management. Subsequently, eight sub-samples from each cohort were then involved in Phase 2 (qualitative component) of the study involving a semi-structured interview on issues related to the impact of infrastructure availability or constraints on service provision.
RESULT: The current study reveals that multiple challenges exist with regard to dysphagia services in Malaysian government hospitals compared to Queensland public hospitals.
CONCLUSION: Overall, it was identified that service improvement in Malaysia requires change at a systems and structures level, but also, more importantly, at the individual/personal level, particularly focusing on the culture, behaviour and attitudes among the staff regarding dysphagia services.