The delivery and measurement of the outcomes associated with speech and language therapy is an essential component of delivering effective and high-quality services.

This page provides resources about outcome measurement, including information about the RCSLT Online Outcome Tool (ROOT) and the role of outcome measurement in speech and language therapy.

If you’re a speech and language therapist, please sign up or log in to access the full version of this content.

Last updated: September 2024

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Outcome measurement in speech and language therapy

The measurement of the outcomes associated with speech and language therapy is an essential component of delivering effective and high quality services. Outcome measurement is core to:
  • Delivering evidence-based and person-centred services.
  • Evaluating clinical effectiveness and supporting quality improvement.
  • Demonstrating the impact of speech and language therapy.

Outcome measurement is also a requirement of Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

The HCPC is an independent, UK-wide regulatory body responsible for setting and maintaining standards of professional training, performance and conduct for the 16 healthcare professions that it regulates, including speech and language therapists (SLTs).
Registration is a legal requirement for all practising SLTs, who must adhere to the following HCPC standards:

HCPC standards stipulate that registrants must be able to “evaluate care plans or intervention plans using recognised and appropriate outcome measures, in conjunction with the service user where possible, and revise the plans as necessary” (HCPC 2023:14).

The HCPC also expects registrants to “participate in quality management, including quality control, quality assurance, clinical governance and the use of appropriate outcome measures” (HCPC 2023:14).

RCSLT Online Outcome Tool (ROOT)

The RCSLT is working to support its members to improve the systematic collection of outcomes data and to assist with demonstrating the impact of therapy for individuals with speech, language, communication and swallowing needs.

As part of a programme of work on outcomes, the RCSLT has developed and piloted an online tool to support the collection of Therapy Outcome Measures (TOMs) (Enderby and John, 2015; Enderby and John, 2019). TOMs was selected as the ‘best fit’ tool after a systematic evaluation of available measures.

What is the ROOT?

The RCSLT Online Outcome Tool (ROOT) supports SLTs with collecting and collating TOMs data and generating reports.

The reports generated by the ROOT can be used by SLTs to inform clinical decision-making and offer the potential to demonstrate the impact of speech and language therapy interventions for individual service users and cohorts of service users.

Aggregated reports can be used to assist with service evaluation and quality assurances purposes, and to inform those funding speech and language therapy services.

This short video provides an overview of the ROOT.

Access the ROOT

Any UK speech and language therapy service can register to use the ROOT.

Take a look at all of the resources available to help you with getting ready to use the ROOT, including the training videos.

We’ve also created a collection of publications, resources and useful links related to the tool within the resources pages.

Access the ROOT

We are continuing to develop the tool in response to feedback. For more information, please contact ROOT@rcslt.org.

References

Enderby P, John A (2015) Therapy outcome measures for rehabilitation professionals, Third Edition. Guildford: J&R Press Ltd.

Enderby P, John A (2019) Therapy Outcome Measure User Guide. Croydon: J&R Press Ltd.

Summary of recommendations

To support best practice in relation to outcome measurement, it is recommended that speech and language therapists are aware of the importance of:

  • The routine measurement of the outcomes of therapy, using an appropriate approach and tools.
  • The use of validated outcome measurement tools.
  • Capturing the service user’s perspective on their outcomes and their experience of care.
  • Using outcome data in the context of other data and alongside other available tools, frameworks and resources, to support the delivery of quality services.
  • Outcome measurement being embedded within a model of working that emphasises the need for reflection, and that holds the notion of health benefits and outcomes as an integral part of practice.

Outcome measurement resources

The RCSLT provides a collection of resources to support SLTs with implementing and using outcome measures, including:

If you’re a speech and language therapist, please sign up or log in to access all of our resources in full.

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