An Audit Tool for Health Visitors and SLTs Working with the Pre-School Population

The methodology & preliminary findings of a national audit of speech & language therapy & health visiting services for the preschool population are reported from six UK health districts. Sites were selected to obtain variation in employment, location & type of district, a mixture of fundholding vs nonfundholding general practitioners, computerized data collection, a large dataset of referrals, & the full-time participation of at least three general practitioners & eight health visitors per district. Six feedback forms were developed as audit tools eliciting information from parents, health visitors, therapists, & general practitioners regarding referral & selection, training, & parent programs. Responses received by Apr 1998 (N = 1,092) indicate a trend of parental agreement regarding the need for therapy & satisfaction with service delivery; the importance of close links between therapists & health visitors is highlighted, & a need for closer collaboration with general practitioners is evidenced. 1 Table, 7 References. Adapted from the source document