Date Approved
2018
Degree Type
Open Access Senior Honors Thesis
Department or School
Special Education
First Advisor
Ana Claudia Harten, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Second Advisor
David Winters, Ph.D.
Abstract
In a changing health care industry, it is imperative that different healthcare professionals collaborate to address the state of the patient. Respiratory therapists (RTs) and speech-language pathologists {SLPs) frequently work with the same general patient population in the healthcare setting; however, while RTs typically provide emergency interventions, SLPs work with the patient in the rehabilitative domain. Each profession has a unique understanding of the patient and may encounter an overlap in responsibilities for performing a particular task, including management of tracheostomy tubes and prevention of aspiration pneumonias. This study investigated SLPs' and RTs' perspectives on their interprofessional collaboration. The findings revealed that both professions have common concerns related to the care of their patients and identify a need for more knowledge about the other profession. The study suggests ways how professional collaboration between SLPs and RTs can be strengthened to improve treatment outcomes and overall patients' quality of life.
Recommended Citation
Khan, Nafiah, "Creating bridges between health care professionals: Interprofessional collaboration between respiratory therapy and speech-language pathology and its importance for patient outcomes" (2018). Senior Honors Theses and Projects. 591.
https://commons.emich.edu/honors/591