Name
#76 Virtual Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Assessments in a Remote Critical Care Setting
Content Presented On Behalf Of:
Navy
Session Type
Poster
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Start Time
5:00 PM
End Time
7:00 PM
Location
Prince Georges Expo Hall E
Focus Areas/Topics
Clinical Care, Technology, Policy/Management/Administrative
Learning Outcomes
Following this session, the attendee will be able to:
1. Appreciate the critical role Speech-Language Pathology plays in the care of critically ill patients
2. Apply the principles of virtual patient care to clinical Speech-Language Pathology evaluations
3. Appreciate the value of virtual Speech-Language Pathology clinical evaluations in resource-constrained and forward-deployed settings
Session Currently Live
Description
Introduction: Bedside speech language pathology (SLP) assessment of critical care patients, when indicated, is important for determination of swallowing function, diet initiation, and progression of care. This becomes particularly important for neurologically altered patients, head and neck cancer patients, and patients who have undergone prolonged intubation. At our remote Military Treatment Facility (MTF), SLP providers are not physically present for bedside assessments. We sought to evaluate the feasibility of an innovative virtual SLP assessment, utilizing an existing virtual medicine consultation service. Methods: In partnership with Naval Medical Center San Diego, we performed a virtual SLP bedside evaluation on a healthy volunteer. This consisted of cranial nerve examination, bedside clinical swallow assessment, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and a Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallow (FEES). The evaluation was facilitated by bedside ICU nursing, with flexible laryngoscopy performed by our staff otolaryngologist. All components of the evaluation, including laryngoscopy, were readily visible and able to be interpreted by the virtually-connected SLP provider. Results: All four essential aspects of bedside SLP evaluation were conducted and deemed adequate by the virtual SLP provider for interpretation. Conclusion: Virtual SLP assessment is feasible and safe in our remote, resource constrained MTF, when in-person SLP services are unavailable. Further study is needed to determine translatability to other institutions, and the impact of this virtual service on timing of diet initiation and other critical care patient outcomes.