Service provision in the NICU during the COVID 19 pandemic : South African speech language therapists’ perspectives

Abstract

Background: There is limited knowledge of how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted service provision in South African public and private Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), specifically from the perspective of speech-language therapists (SLTs), and how service provision has subsequently normalised since the easing of restrictions and transition from a pandemic to an endemic.

Objective: To describe a group of South African SLTs’ perspectives of their service provision in the NICU before and during the initial lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent easing of restrictions.

Method: A self-designed electronic survey was used to collect data. Twenty-seven speech-language therapists who worked in public and private NICUs at least one year prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic were included. Nearly two thirds of the sample were ages 30-39 years old, and one third of the sample had 7-10 years of work experience.

Results: Speech-language therapists’ presence was perceived to remain at 100 percent, and parental presence decreased to 77,8 percent. All participants reported an increase in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the NICU. Interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) was perceived to decrease by 44,4 percent. The majority of participants perceived changes in their service provision and roles with the decrease of parents in the unit. Many participants used innovative approaches such as tele-intervention to consult during this unprecedented time.

Conclusion: SLTs who rendered services in NICUs during this timeframe displayed resilience and innovation to overcome challenges posed by COVID-19. Findings from this study highlight the importance of IPCP and technological advances in the field of speech-language pathology, such as hybrid approaches to provide eHealth, tele-intervention and tele-lactation services.