Oncologists Perception about the Role of Speech and Language Therapy in management of Communication and Swallowing Difficulties of Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

Abstract

Title: “Oncologists Perception about the Role of Speech and Language Therapy in management of Communication and Swallowing Difficulties of Head and Neck Cancer Patients”. The aim of the study is to find out oncologists perception about the role of SLT in management of communication and swallowing difficulties of head and neck cancer patients. To identify the scope of Speech and Language therapy practice in head and neck cancer patients from oncologist’s point of view. The study is based on a quantitative type of cross sectional survey design paradigm. 40 samples were selected using a purposive (non-probability) sampling technique in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Bangla translated semi- structured self-inventory questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analyzed by Descriptive statistics and presented in a table and bar graph. Communication and swallowing difficulties is a life threatening problem in head and neck cancer patients. Investigator just completed his study in two hospital and got average number of participants who were oncologists. The major findings of this study were based on oncologists’ perception about role of speech and language therapy in management of communication and swallowing difficulties of head and neck cancer patients. According to the study in 40 participants (oncologists), 55% participants was male on the other hand 45% participants was female. Overall investigator find that participants provide treatment to head and neck cancer patients with communication and swallowing problem and in spite of having communication and swallowing problem less than half number of participants did not refer this patients to speech and language therapists. Investigator found not significant between referral rate to speech and language therapists from oncologist because sample size was small and there was many more limitation so that this association was not significant. The investigator found that a large number of participants (oncologists) believed speech and language therapists play vital role in treating HNC patients in a multidisciplinary team. The speech and language therapist has a bigger role in the head and neck cancer specialist team that supports the person with HNC who taking RT, CT and CRT to improving their communication and swallowing problem. It was a small study the participant’s number was small expectantly in future there are more study will be done in this topic with large number of sample. SLTs have vast role in HNC area. SLT has large area to work and more study is needed in our country so that SLTs can strongly establish their role in HNC and provide the standard treatment to the patients and thus improve patient’s quality of life. We all know about SLTs have major role in HNC area but most of the SLTs don’t show much interest in this area. If more study will be conducted in this area it will open scope for SLTs in our country.