Oshita on Health Services Research for Communication Sciences

PhD candidate Jennifer Y. Oshita, MSLP, CCC-SLP  and colleagues recently published a tutorial laying out the potential applications of Health Services Research in her specialty of Speech and Language Pathology (and related domains).

Morris MA, Oshita JY, Stransky M. Advancing the Delivery of Communication Sciences and Disorders Services Through Research: The Promise of Health Services Research. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. 2019; 4(1): 16-26. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/abs/10.1044/2018_PERS-ST-2018-0002

Abstract
Purpose
Traditional efficacy research, or research that studies interventions in controlled settings, can be difficult to translate to real-world clinical settings. In this article, we introduce the field of health services research (HSR) as 1 possible tool to aid this translation. HSR is a field of research that examines and intervenes in the use, cost, quality, delivery, organization, and outcomes of clinical interventions and services in the real-world setting. The complexity of the world outside the clinic walls is accounted for in HSR methods and data sources. As such, HSR often requires collaboration of stakeholders, including patients, caregivers, clinicians, and policy makers. These stakeholders are often engaged throughout the research process, from selecting research questions to disseminating results. HSR brings together researchers from multiple disciplines, including sociology, health economics, epidemiology, and implementation science, among others. The outcomes of HSR can inform policy changes both locally and nationally. To clarify the scope and impact of HSR, we present examples of HSR-based research on communication between patients with communication disorders and health care providers.
Conclusion
HSR is a critical tool for clinicians and researchers in the discipline of communication sciences and disorders who are committed to improving the lives and health of persons with communication disorders.


- Ben Littenberg