The perceptions of students in the allied health professions towards stroke rehabilitation teams and the SLP's role.
The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions and knowledge of final-year speech-language pathology (SLP), physical and occupational therapy (PT, OT) students toward stroke rehabilitation teams and the SLPs' roles on them. The investigators adapted a survey developed by (Felsher & Ross, 1994) and administered it to 35 PT, 35 OT, and 35 SLP final year students (n=105). We found that the students preferred the transdisciplinary team approach and agreed that the advantages of teamwork were the exchange of ideas, opportunities for participatory learning, and holistic treatment. Communication problems, time-consuming meetings, and role confusion were chosen as disadvantages. The students had clear perceptions of the SLP's role in aphasia, apraxia of speech, dysarthria, dysphagia, and auditory agnosia, but fewer recognized the SLP's role in alexia and memory. Some thought SLPs had a role in dressing apraxia and proprioceptive disorders. Suggestions to maximize the advantages and minimize possible disadvantages of teamwork are provided.


OBJECTIVE
Learners will: (1) identify the perceived advantages and disadvantages of stroke rehabilitation teamwork; (2) discover some allied health students' perceptions of the SLP's roles in stroke rehabilitation; (3) infer methods to create positive perceptions of stroke rehabilitation team members.
Insalaco
Deborah
D
Speech-Language Pathology Department, Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Ketchum Hall, Buffalo, NY 14222, USA. insaladm@buffalostate.edu
Ozkurt
Elcin
E
Santiago
Digna
D
D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007587:Job Description; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000193:education; D010348:Patient Care Team; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000193:education; D012380:Role; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology / Q000193:education*; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires