Speech pathologists’ confidence levels and professional development needs in motor neurone disease (MND): An Australian survey
Tracks
7
Evidence based practice
Neurological disorders
Progressive disorders
| Sunday, June 15, 2025 |
| 10:30 AM - 10:40 AM |
| Knowledge Hub | Halls MNO, Ground Level |
Overview
Dr Sarah El-Wahsh
Details
⏫ Rapid impact
⏲️ 10.30am - 10.40am
⌛ 10-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
⏲️ 10.30am - 10.40am
⌛ 10-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
Presenter
Dr Sarah El-Wahsh
The University Of Sydney
Speech pathologists’ confidence levels and professional development needs in motor neurone disease (MND): An Australian survey
10:30 AM - 10:40 AMPresentation summary
Clinician confidence is crucial for effective patient-professional relationships. Limited research explores confidence levels of allied health professionals, specifically speech pathologists (SPs), when supporting people with motor neurone disease (PwMND). This presentation will outline SPs’ self-reported confidence levels when supporting PwMND across key speech pathology domains, including swallowing, oral secretions, oral hygiene, airway management, and communication. The session will also explore how various demographic and clinical factors influence confidence, outline barriers and facilitators to confidence development, and propose strategies for improving professional development in this area.
The study included 72 SPs from Australia, who completed an online questionnaire. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and association analysis, while content analysis was applied to open-ended responses.
The study’s findings showed varied confidence levels, with SPs reporting higher confidence with general interventions like diet/fluid modification and clear speech strategies, but lower confidence in more MND-specific interventions like voice preservation, secretion management, and electronic communication devices. Factors including years of experience, MND caseload proportion, multidisciplinary team structure, and clinician age were significantly associated with confidence. Participants identified several facilitators and barriers to confidence development, categorised into four themes, including support systems and collaboration, resources, knowledge and skills, and interactions and communication. Additionally, SPs highlighted key insights they wish they had known when beginning to work with PwMND, which informed development of practical tips for new clinicians.
The findings highlight the complex factors affecting SPs’ confidence in supporting PwMND, emphasising the need for targeted measures to address identified gaps. A set of recommendations has been developed and will be proposed in this session to advance multidisciplinary research and clinical practice in this area. Enhancing SP confidence when supporting PwMND can improve both clinician satisfaction and patient care. Further research is needed to implement and evaluate these recommendations.
The study included 72 SPs from Australia, who completed an online questionnaire. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and association analysis, while content analysis was applied to open-ended responses.
The study’s findings showed varied confidence levels, with SPs reporting higher confidence with general interventions like diet/fluid modification and clear speech strategies, but lower confidence in more MND-specific interventions like voice preservation, secretion management, and electronic communication devices. Factors including years of experience, MND caseload proportion, multidisciplinary team structure, and clinician age were significantly associated with confidence. Participants identified several facilitators and barriers to confidence development, categorised into four themes, including support systems and collaboration, resources, knowledge and skills, and interactions and communication. Additionally, SPs highlighted key insights they wish they had known when beginning to work with PwMND, which informed development of practical tips for new clinicians.
The findings highlight the complex factors affecting SPs’ confidence in supporting PwMND, emphasising the need for targeted measures to address identified gaps. A set of recommendations has been developed and will be proposed in this session to advance multidisciplinary research and clinical practice in this area. Enhancing SP confidence when supporting PwMND can improve both clinician satisfaction and patient care. Further research is needed to implement and evaluate these recommendations.
Refrences
Beukelman, D., Fager, S., & Nordness, A. (2011). Communication support for people with ALS. Neurology research international, 2011.
Chahda, L., Carey, L. B., Mathisen, B. A., & Threats, T. (2021). Speech-language pathologists and adult palliative care in Australia. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 23(1), 57-69.
Hughes, R. A., Sinha, A., Higginson, I., Down, K., & Leigh, P. N. (2005). Living with motor neurone disease: lives, experiences of services and suggestions for change. Health & social care in the community, 13(1), 64-74.
Kassianos, A. P., Ignatowicz, A., Greenfield, G., Majeed, A., Car, J., & Pappas, Y. (2015). “Partners rather than just providers…”: A qualitative study on health care professionals’ views on implementation of multidisciplinary group meetings in the North West London Integrated Care Pilot. International journal of integrated care, 15.
Lau, F. S., Brennan, F. P., & Gardiner, M. D. (2018). Multidisciplinary management of motor neurone disease. Australian journal of general practice, 47(9), 593-597.
McConigley, R., Aoun, S., Kristjanson, L., Colyer, S., Deas, K., O’Connor, M., . . . Yates, P. (2012). Implementation and evaluation of an education program to guide palliative care for people with motor neurone disease. Palliative medicine, 26(8), 994-1000.
Morris, M. E., Perry, A., Bilney, B., Curran, A., Dodd, K., Wittwer, J. E., & Dalton, G. W. (2006). Outcomes of physical therapy, speech pathology, and occupational therapy for people with motor neuron disease: a systematic review. Neurorehabilitation and neural repair, 20(3), 424-434.
O’Brien, M. R. (2004). Healthcare professionals' knowledge of motor neurone disease. British journal of nursing, 13(18), 1080-1084.
Ortega-Hombrados, L., Molina-Torres, G., Galán-Mercant, A., Sánchez-Guerrero, E., González-Sánchez, M., & Ruiz-Muñoz, M. (2021). Systematic review of therapeutic physical exercise in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis over time. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(3), 1074.
Pearson, I., Glasmacher, S. A., Newton, J., Beswick, E., Mehta, A. R., Davenport, R., . . . Pal, S. (2020). The prevalence and management of saliva problems in motor neuron disease: a 4-Year analysis of the scottish motor neuron disease register. Neurodegenerative Diseases, 20(4), 147-152.
Plowman, E. K., Gray, L. T., Chapin, J., Anderson, A., Vasilopoulos, T., Gooch, C., . . . Wymer, J. P. (2023). Respiratory Strength Training in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Multicenter, Sham-Controlled Trial. Neurology.
Romero-Gangonells, E., Virgili-Casas, M. N., Dominguez-Rubio, R., Povedano, M., Pérez-Saborit, N., Calvo-Malvar, N., & Barceló, M. A. (2021). Evaluation of dysphagia in motor neuron disease. Review of available diagnostic tools and new perspectives. Dysphagia, 36, 558-573.
White, S., O’Cathain, A., Halliday, V., Bradburn, M., & McDermott, C. J. (2024). Supporting people with Motor Neuron Disease (MND) to make decisions about gastrostomy feeding tube placement: a survey of UK healthcare professionals’ practice and beliefs. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 1-9.
Young, C. A., Ealing, J., McDermott, C., Williams, T., Al-Chalabi, A., Majeed, T., . . . Talbot, K. (2019). The relationships between symptoms, disability, perceived health and quality of life in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 20(5-6), 317-327.
Chahda, L., Carey, L. B., Mathisen, B. A., & Threats, T. (2021). Speech-language pathologists and adult palliative care in Australia. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 23(1), 57-69.
Hughes, R. A., Sinha, A., Higginson, I., Down, K., & Leigh, P. N. (2005). Living with motor neurone disease: lives, experiences of services and suggestions for change. Health & social care in the community, 13(1), 64-74.
Kassianos, A. P., Ignatowicz, A., Greenfield, G., Majeed, A., Car, J., & Pappas, Y. (2015). “Partners rather than just providers…”: A qualitative study on health care professionals’ views on implementation of multidisciplinary group meetings in the North West London Integrated Care Pilot. International journal of integrated care, 15.
Lau, F. S., Brennan, F. P., & Gardiner, M. D. (2018). Multidisciplinary management of motor neurone disease. Australian journal of general practice, 47(9), 593-597.
McConigley, R., Aoun, S., Kristjanson, L., Colyer, S., Deas, K., O’Connor, M., . . . Yates, P. (2012). Implementation and evaluation of an education program to guide palliative care for people with motor neurone disease. Palliative medicine, 26(8), 994-1000.
Morris, M. E., Perry, A., Bilney, B., Curran, A., Dodd, K., Wittwer, J. E., & Dalton, G. W. (2006). Outcomes of physical therapy, speech pathology, and occupational therapy for people with motor neuron disease: a systematic review. Neurorehabilitation and neural repair, 20(3), 424-434.
O’Brien, M. R. (2004). Healthcare professionals' knowledge of motor neurone disease. British journal of nursing, 13(18), 1080-1084.
Ortega-Hombrados, L., Molina-Torres, G., Galán-Mercant, A., Sánchez-Guerrero, E., González-Sánchez, M., & Ruiz-Muñoz, M. (2021). Systematic review of therapeutic physical exercise in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis over time. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(3), 1074.
Pearson, I., Glasmacher, S. A., Newton, J., Beswick, E., Mehta, A. R., Davenport, R., . . . Pal, S. (2020). The prevalence and management of saliva problems in motor neuron disease: a 4-Year analysis of the scottish motor neuron disease register. Neurodegenerative Diseases, 20(4), 147-152.
Plowman, E. K., Gray, L. T., Chapin, J., Anderson, A., Vasilopoulos, T., Gooch, C., . . . Wymer, J. P. (2023). Respiratory Strength Training in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Multicenter, Sham-Controlled Trial. Neurology.
Romero-Gangonells, E., Virgili-Casas, M. N., Dominguez-Rubio, R., Povedano, M., Pérez-Saborit, N., Calvo-Malvar, N., & Barceló, M. A. (2021). Evaluation of dysphagia in motor neuron disease. Review of available diagnostic tools and new perspectives. Dysphagia, 36, 558-573.
White, S., O’Cathain, A., Halliday, V., Bradburn, M., & McDermott, C. J. (2024). Supporting people with Motor Neuron Disease (MND) to make decisions about gastrostomy feeding tube placement: a survey of UK healthcare professionals’ practice and beliefs. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 1-9.
Young, C. A., Ealing, J., McDermott, C., Williams, T., Al-Chalabi, A., Majeed, T., . . . Talbot, K. (2019). The relationships between symptoms, disability, perceived health and quality of life in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 20(5-6), 317-327.
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Sarah completed her Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology) degree in 2017, graduating with Honours I, the University Medal, the Dean's Scholar Award, and the Speech Pathology Australia award for best graduating student. Sarah is passionate about progressive neurological diseases and has a particular interest in motor neurone disease (MND). She received a scholarship and completed her PhD in 2022 from The University of Sydney (USYD). She is a certified practicing speech pathologist and holds an Honorary Clinical Lecturer position at USYD. She has several first-author publications and has co-authored several book chapters on communication and swallowing impairment in progressive neurological diseases. She has received multiple awards at national and international conferences, as well as in her work as a speech pathologist, for clinical excellence. Sarah sees great value in being a clinician-researcher-educator to ensure her research is person-centred and her clinical care and teaching is evidence-based.
Session chair
Dai Pu
Monash University & Little Birds Allied Health
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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Important Notice, please read: The views expressed in this presentation and reproduced in these materials are not necessarily the views of, or endorsed by, The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited ("the Association"). The Association makes no warranty or representation in relation to the content, currency or accuracy of any of the materials comprised in this presentation. The Association expressly disclaims any and all liability (including liability for negligence) in respect of use of these materials and the information contained within them. The Association recommends you seek independent professional advice prior to making any decision involving matters outlined in this presentation including in any of the materials referred to or otherwise incorporated into this presentation.
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