Accessibility and health literacy implications of allied health reports: Views of allied health professionals who write reports about people with lifelong communication disability.
Tracks
6
Assessment
Disability
Written language
| Friday, June 13, 2025 |
| 2:20 PM - 2:30 PM |
Overview
Harmony Turnbull
Details
⏫ Research insights
⏲️ 2.20pm - 2.40pm
⌛ 20-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
⏲️ 2.20pm - 2.40pm
⌛ 20-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
Presenter
Harmony Turnbull
Accessibility and health literacy implications of allied health reports: Views of allied health professionals who write reports about people with lifelong communication disability.
2:20 PM - 2:40 PMPresentation summary
Background and aims
Research into health literacy demands of allied health reports has not to date focused on the experiences of allied health professionals (AHPs) writing reports for or about people with lifelong communication disability. The aim of this study was to explore the views and experiences of AHPs about their report writing to evaluate health literacy implications for people with lifelong communication disability.
Methods
This study used constructivist and pragmatist methodology, underpinned by a health literacy theoretical model, to guide in-depth interviews with AHPs, using reflexive thematic analysis to identify themes and subthemes.
Results
A total of 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 AHPs in Australia which included nine speech pathologists. An overarching theme was identified as ‘The contexts influencing the the allied health report writer’. Three content themes were identified AHPs as 1) content creators, 2) supportive advocates, and 3) lifelong learners. Results indicate that the personal, professional, and work experiences of AHPs influence their written reports. AHPs need to gather, interpret, and synthesise information in a way that contributes to a useful and understandable report. Reports should contain accurate representations of people with lifelong communication disability and their support needs. AHPs see their reports as a strategy to advocate for the support needs of people with lifelong communication disability.
Conclusion
Several factors influence AHP report writing, affecting health literacy demands and presenting challenges for the writers. AHPs may take on various roles throughout the process of writing reports for or about people with lifelong communication disability. These roles exist within the context of the writer background, clinical contexts, as well as a variety of environmental influences. The impact and application of the findings from this research are presented in relation to a health literacy model to support access, understanding, appraisal, and use of allied health reports.
Research into health literacy demands of allied health reports has not to date focused on the experiences of allied health professionals (AHPs) writing reports for or about people with lifelong communication disability. The aim of this study was to explore the views and experiences of AHPs about their report writing to evaluate health literacy implications for people with lifelong communication disability.
Methods
This study used constructivist and pragmatist methodology, underpinned by a health literacy theoretical model, to guide in-depth interviews with AHPs, using reflexive thematic analysis to identify themes and subthemes.
Results
A total of 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 AHPs in Australia which included nine speech pathologists. An overarching theme was identified as ‘The contexts influencing the the allied health report writer’. Three content themes were identified AHPs as 1) content creators, 2) supportive advocates, and 3) lifelong learners. Results indicate that the personal, professional, and work experiences of AHPs influence their written reports. AHPs need to gather, interpret, and synthesise information in a way that contributes to a useful and understandable report. Reports should contain accurate representations of people with lifelong communication disability and their support needs. AHPs see their reports as a strategy to advocate for the support needs of people with lifelong communication disability.
Conclusion
Several factors influence AHP report writing, affecting health literacy demands and presenting challenges for the writers. AHPs may take on various roles throughout the process of writing reports for or about people with lifelong communication disability. These roles exist within the context of the writer background, clinical contexts, as well as a variety of environmental influences. The impact and application of the findings from this research are presented in relation to a health literacy model to support access, understanding, appraisal, and use of allied health reports.
Refrences
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic Analysis: A Practical Guide. SAGE.
Fram, S. (2015). The Constant Comparative Analysis Method Outside of Grounded Theory. The Qualitative Report. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2013.1569
Lyons, R., McAllister, L., Carroll, C., Hersh, D., & Skeat, J. (2021). Diving Deep Into Qualitative Data Analysis in Communication Disorders Research. J&R Press Limited.
Sørensen, K., Van den Broucke, S., Fullam, J., Doyle, G., Pelikan, J., Slonska, Z., Brand, H., & Consortium Health Literacy Project European. (2012). Health literacy and public health: A systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 80–93. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-80
Turnbull, H., Dark, L., Carnemolla, P., Skinner, I., & Hemsley, B. (2023). A systematic review of the health literacy of adults with lifelong communication disability: Looking beyond accessing and understanding information. Patient Education and Counseling, 106, 151–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2022.10.008
Turnbull, H., Dark, L., Skinner, I., & Hemsley, B. (2020). The readers, the writers, and the documents: A scoping review of the information accessibility, and health literacy demands of allied health reports. Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology, 22(2), 85–94.
World Health Organisation & The World Bank (Eds.). (2011). World Report on Disability. World Health Organization.
Fram, S. (2015). The Constant Comparative Analysis Method Outside of Grounded Theory. The Qualitative Report. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2013.1569
Lyons, R., McAllister, L., Carroll, C., Hersh, D., & Skeat, J. (2021). Diving Deep Into Qualitative Data Analysis in Communication Disorders Research. J&R Press Limited.
Sørensen, K., Van den Broucke, S., Fullam, J., Doyle, G., Pelikan, J., Slonska, Z., Brand, H., & Consortium Health Literacy Project European. (2012). Health literacy and public health: A systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 80–93. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-80
Turnbull, H., Dark, L., Carnemolla, P., Skinner, I., & Hemsley, B. (2023). A systematic review of the health literacy of adults with lifelong communication disability: Looking beyond accessing and understanding information. Patient Education and Counseling, 106, 151–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2022.10.008
Turnbull, H., Dark, L., Skinner, I., & Hemsley, B. (2020). The readers, the writers, and the documents: A scoping review of the information accessibility, and health literacy demands of allied health reports. Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology, 22(2), 85–94.
World Health Organisation & The World Bank (Eds.). (2011). World Report on Disability. World Health Organization.
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Harmony is a speech pathologist with longstanding experience supporting people across the lifespan with lifelong disability, communication disability, and/or dysphagia. She has many years of industry experience as a senior clinician in government and non-government sectors as well as The University of Sydney and The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and The University of Tasmania. Harmony is pursuing her PhD at UTS exploring the accessibility of written health information for people with communication disability. She has a strong person-centred and rights-based approach to her work.
The information contained in this program is current at of the time of publishing but is subject to changes made without notice.
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