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How Can the Telepractice Committee Serve You?

Published in the April 2024 ISHA Voice.

By Jennine Harvey-Northrop, Chair of the Telepractice Committee. 

The Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Telepractice Committee has worked to advocate, integrate, clarify and expand resources and guidelines for clinicians transitioning in and out of telepractice services.  As the committee considers future goals and initiatives, we would like to gain ISHA member insights and feedback on what efforts would be most impactful for your clinical practice and continuing education. Listed below are the committee’s current mission, goals, overview of accomplishments, and survey links to gain your feedback.  Thank you for your time and contributions as we look forward to the future!

Mission

The Telepractice Committee strives to educate members regarding the provision of telehealth services in the state of Illinois. The goal of the committee is to disseminate information related to practice guidelines, legal and ethical issues. (ISHA, 2024)

Goals

  • Advocacy: To communicate at least annually with ASHA regarding telepractice issues, advocacy efforts and reimbursement for audiology and speech-language pathology services.
  • Advocacy: Advocate for Medicaid reimbursement for services provided via tele services. Illinois allows for the provision of teleservices in our practice act; however, Medicaid reimbursement for said services is not currently available.
  • Communication: To provide information to ISHA members on telepractice via newsletter, website, and social media 3 times per year.
  • Professional Development/Continuing Education: To propose topics and/or speakers on issues related to telepractice for annual convention.
  • Quality of Service: To provide information on technical and ethical standards, evidence-based practice and improved outcomes, especially for underserved clients for services delivered by telepractice by submitting a session for ISHA annual conference. (ISHA, 2024)

Overview of Accomplishments

  • The Telepractice Committee continuously worked with Legs & Regs and Medical practice committees and liaisons, as well as, ASHA, to update our members with the most current telepractice issues, advocacy, and reimbursement.
  • The Telepractice committee has submitted ISHA Voice articles quarterly.
  • The Telepractice committee has reorganized the ISHA Telepractice websites to increase accessibility and link across resources with other ISHA committees.
  • The Telepractice committee has updated the website and submitted social media posts for updates and changes in policy, procedure, and/or to support advocacy measures for reimbursement of telepractice services.
  • The Telepractice committee continues to increase communication across committees by working with Committee Liaisons to assist in the sharing of information.

Surveys to Guide Future Telepractice Initiatives

The Telepractice Committee is releasing two surveys to gain membership and stakeholder feedback on areas or initiatives that would be most helpful for clinical practice and education in telepractice. 

ISHA Membership Survey – This brief survey is designed to target Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access and the intersectionality with Telepractice Services in CSD in order to best support ISHA membership and practice. There are four questions total with opportunities to provide feedback throughout. Please use this link to complete the survey. Thank you for your participation!

Illinois University Survey – This brief survey is designed to target Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access and the intersectionality with Telepractice Services in CSD.  Given ISBE's Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning Standards for Teaching Licensure programs in Illinois, the Telepractice Committee would like to better understand how Universities are integrating EDIA and telepractice services into programs. There are two questions total. If you are part of an Illinois University, please use this link to complete the survey. Thank you for your participation!

ISHA. (2024, February 27). Telepractice Committee. Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://www.ishail.org/Division-for-Professional-Services-5

Jennine Harvey is an Associate Professor at Illinois State University in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders. She has 15 years of clinical experience working with adult neurogenic communication disorders. Dr. Harvey conducts research in the areas of cognitive aging, cognitive and language interventions, dual-task, speech in noise, virtual reality for rehabilitation, interprofessional practice, and scholarship of teaching and learning.