A couple of weeks back, at the ASLTIP conference,  I led a session about how to start a speech and language therapy blog. I knew I didn’t want to stand and talk for an hour, so I included activities as we went along, which I hoped would leave attendees ready to write their first blog post when they got home.

We started by discussing why we were interested in blogging and who we wanted to read our posts. People were keen to explain what speech and language therapy is and how therapists work, share their expertise and resources, and use their blog as a place to reflect, so as professional development.

Next I showed the group how easy it is to start a blog with WordPress. I played them a video of me setting up a new blog and writing my first post in 5 minutes. I hope I reassured them that you don’t need lots of technical skills to start a blog.

We talked about titles and the importance of being clear, so that people know what you’re writing about and can find your posts. I talked about how using photographs can makes posts stand out, encourage people to read them and break up the text. I explained the purpose of linking to other websites (it helps your reader and respects your “sources”) and showed them how to do it. And I encouraged them to share their posts on social media.

We discussed finding our voice, and sounding like ourselves. Blogs aren’t reports or research papers, so don’t need to be written in a very formal style. I shared with the group a tip from Kate Kiefer Lee: try reading what you’ve written out loud (or to your dog!) Does it sound like something you’d say? If it doesn’t, go back and take out some of the words you wouldn’t use in conversation.

We discussed the responsibilities of being an SLT blogger. Then I finished up by sharing resources. I use Trello for keeping track of ideas I’d like to blog about, then when the mood to write strikes, I can just pick a topic from my list. I read other blogs (you can find SLT related ones by searching on google or using the #slpeeps hashtag on Twitter) and find the resources about blogging from Braid Creative useful.

The group got stuck in with the activities and asked some questions that made me think, thank you! If you were at the workshop and you’re now blogging, send me the link, I’d love to have a read.

Any questions about blogging as a Speech and Language Therapist? Let me know.

I’ve been thinking about how evidence-based practice is relevant to daily life as a therapist. I enjoyed reading Arlene McCurtin and Hazel Roddam’s Review, Evidence-based practice: SLTs under siege or opportunity for growth? The use and nature of research evidence in the profession, in the International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders. Check it out!

Many clinicians and managers I’ve spoken to think that evidence-based practice (EBP) consists solely of evidence from systematic research. Which means the mantra – base service decisions on EBP, can seem punitive rather than supportive. Watch Kate Malcomess describe how clinicians can feel dismissed and devalued if they don’t have an evidence base, in her 5 minute lightning talk. McCurin and Roddam use a definition by Dollaghan (2007) that highlights there are three components of EBP: research evidence, the expertise of the clinician (internal to clinical practice), and patient values and preferences.

They raise a number of issues:

• There’s a mismatch in research agendas: academic researchers aren’t studying what clinicians want to know.
• Evidence from Randomised Control Trials can’t be applied directly to real-life patients as treatment protocols can’t be rigidly applied outside the lab and patients may have co-occurring difficulties.
• The way researchers communicate information to clinicians for example in journal articles, isn’t effective.

Translational Research

McCurtin and Roddam state that translational research addresses these issues however, I wasn’t sure what translational research was! A quick google led to this definition:

“For others-especially health service researchers and public health investigators whose studies focus on health care and health as the primary outcome-translational research refers to translating research into practice; ie, ensuring that new treatments and research knowledge actually reach the patients or populations for whom they are intended and are implemented correctly.”

Steven H. Woolf, in The Meaning of Translational Research and Why It Matters.

Sounds good! It got me thinking about how research carried out in universities could be more effectively used by therapists working on the ground. Summary blog posts, interviews in podcast format or short videos on youtube all seem like they’d be more accessible to the time strapped clinician than reading a journal article is.

Therapy Ideas Live: Using Social Media to Participate in EBP

If you’re interested in this real-life slant on EBP join us at the next Therapy Ideas Live event on Monday 3rd December, when we’ll be talking about how therapists can use social media to participate in EBP. There’ll be talks from featured speakers, including Nicola Botting, and small group discussions. Our venue is Google Campus in Shoreditch, London and the event is sponsored by MyChoicePad – you’ll be able to try out the app on the night. Check out the webpage for more details and to buy tickets. See you there!

Photo by Ohio University Libraries

Listen now

Download the MP3 file, or subscribe in iTunes.

So, what did you think? Tweet me or leave a comment!