JCPSLP Vol 19 No 2 2017

Table 1. Respondents’ location Percentage of Respondents State/country

Percentage of Respondents

Location of respondent’s facility or health service

44%

Queensland

80%

Metropolitan

25%

New South Wales

9%

Rural

7%

Victoria

11%

Unspecified

3%

New Zealand

4%

Tasmania

3%

South Australia

1%

Western Australia

1%

Australian Capital Territory

12%

Unknown (not disclosed)

Table 2. Respondents from within same facility or health district

Key: Zone

Same facility QLD, M1: n = 5 QLD, M1: n = 4 QLD, M1: n = 3 QLD, M2: n = 2 QLD, M2: n = 3 QLD, R1: n = 2 QLD, R2: n = 2 NSW, M2: n = 3 S.A., M1: n = 2

Same district QLD, M1: n = 2 QLD, M1: n = 2 QLD, M2: n = 5 QLD, M2: n= 3 QLD, M2: n = 2 QLD, M2: n = 3 QLD, R2: n = 2 VIC, M1: n = 2 VIC, M2: n = 2 NSW, M2: n = 6 TAS, M1: n = 4 Total: 33

Category

Metropolitan zone

M1 Capital cities M2 Other metropolitan centres (urban centre population > 100,000) R1 Large rural centres (urban centre population 25,000–99,999) R2 Small rural centres (urban centre population 10,000–24,999)

Rural zone

Total: 26

Source: Australian Government Department of Health (1994).

Procedure SurveyMonkey™ online survey software was used to deliver an 18-item questionnaire which remained “live” for two weeks. Due to the lack of prior research in this area, the authors developed questions based on anecdotal knowledge and local information. Questions investigated several areas including: a) demographics of the respondent, b) prevalence, scope and tasks of SLPs in dedicated food services positions within their organisation, c) SLP participation in food services meetings, d) food service tasks undertaken by SLPs within non-food service dedicated clinical roles, and e) overall perceptions of a hypothetical dedicated SLP role in food services. The survey included both multiple choice questions and open-ended questions. Skip logic was used to change the questions presented to the participants based on their previous responses. This maximised efficiency for participants and restricted presentation of irrelevant questions (e.g., if participants indicated they did not attend food services meetings, no further questions on this topic were presented). As not all participants were eligible for all questions, approximately 5% of respondents completed all questions. A total of 86% (n = 100) participants who commenced the survey, finished it. Data analyses Descriptive statistics were applied to quantitative survey data, with responses collated and percentages for each item calculated. To expand on the quantitative data, a

complementary descriptive approach to examining qualitative data was employed. Responses to the open- ended survey questions were analysed informally, with content categorised by the first author (KS) using keywords. These responses were grouped into broad themes, after which the themes were discussed with the second author (RW) and then finalised through consensus. The number of responses aligned with each theme were quantified. Results Speech-language pathologists in a dedicated food services role A total of nine respondents (8% of whole group) indicated that their facility/health service utilised a SLP in a dedicated food services role. Three of these nine respondents did not provide any further details regarding the role, while the remaining six (participants 14, 71, 78, 88, 89 and 108) answered a series of related questions about the amount of time spent in the role, origins of the role, seniority level and duties of the position. Two positions were reported to be part-time and four were “consulting or casual” (defined within the survey as providing advice or support to food services on an ad hoc basis, one day or less per month). In response to the question, “How long has this position existed?”, the position had existed for more than five years in five instances, and for 2–5 years in one. Four of the positions were filled by senior level SLPs. One respondent reported the role was graded as a base or entry level

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JCPSLP Volume 19, Number 2 2017

Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology