title: A survey of head and neck cancer curriculum in United States speech language pathology masters programs.
abstract: We surveyed speech language pathology (SLP) programs for head and neck cancer (HNC) training. Program directors of 242 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association accredited masters programs for SLP were contacted regarding curricular HNC material. Directors (n = 120) responded online: six included a required course in HNC, and all but two programs with no required HNC course included HNC topics in other required courses. Thirty-two programs were affiliated with a medical center and/or a teaching hospital. Programs that offered either a required course in HNC or elective courses on HNC were more likely to be affiliated with a medical center and/or a teaching hospital than programs that did not offer a required course in HNC (P = 0.043) or elective courses on HNC (P = 0.007), respectively. Few programs offer a required HNC course but most programs integrate HNC content into the required coursework. Potential strategies to incorporate HNC exposure into formal SLP programs are identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Health Professions, 151 Rutledge Ave., B313, Charleston, SC, USA. yuen@musc.edu
authors.forename: Hon K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fallis
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martin-Harris
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States