- Title
- A call for evidence to inform the use of Twitter in Speech Language Pathology
- Creator
- Hemsley, Bronwyn; Bowen, Caroline
- Relation
- Journal of the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Taiwan Vol. 33, Issue October 2014, p. 61-72
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.6143/JSLHAT.2014.10.04
- Publisher
- Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Taiwan
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2014
- Description
- Background: Twitter is a social networking micro-blogging site that is used increasingly in a range of health disciplines to exchange information. Publicly available Twitter data show that some speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are using Twitter for multiple professional purposes. To date, there is little in the research literature that might guide SLPs in the use of Twitter for (1) local, national, and global SLP networking, (2) professional development, (3) public health interventions or awareness campaigns, or (4) engagement with 'hard to reach' populations or any other specific clinical population or client group. Aims: To review the peer-reviewed literature for evidence on how SLPs use Twitter for any aspects of their work, to inform future research and guide SLP practice in the use of Twitter. Method: On 30th April 2014, we searched four scientific databases: CINAHL, PsycINFO, Medline, and Web of Science, for journal publications in English on the use of Twitter in the field of speech-language pathology. Search terms relating to Twitter, combined with speech-language pathology discipline labels, were employed. Results: This paper provides results of the search and a summary of literature on the use of Twitter by SLPs. Using a broad range of search terms in the four databases, we found only two peerreviewed papers, respectively describing a research protocol for investigating the use of Twitter by people with a communication disability, and the use of Twitter for professional learning communities in speech-language pathology; and three non-peer reviewed publications. Results are discussed in the context of evidence of how Twitter is used in other health disciplines and directions for future research are proposed. Conclusion: In the absence of peer-reviewed evidence guiding its strategic use, and in the context of Twitter enabling instant worldwide publication online, we contend that an ad-hoc approach to the use of Twitter could result in shortcomings in its use by SLPs. We argue that SLPs, including those engaged in teaching, learning, research, and clinical practice: (1) considering the use of Twitter to engage with and support colleagues; (2) knowing about and work within its inherent limitations, in order to engage with the general public and interested parties on matters pertinent and relevant to the discipline; and (3) monitoring the impacts and evaluate outcomes from Twitter initiatives in the field of SLP so as to add to the evidence-base guiding social media practice.
- Subject
- Twitter; speech-language pathology; professional issues
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1066832
- Identifier
- uon:18239
- Identifier
- ISSN:2076-8583
- Language
- eng
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