How much does it cost to simulate speech and language therapy placements?
Reviewed by Anna Volkmer

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists report that 20% of speech and language therapy positions are unfilled in the UK. Consequently, there is an urgent need to offer as many training courses as possible to fill these gaps. Clinical training courses include a significant clinical experience component in order to ensure students achieve their key clinical competencies. This is usually delivered by embedded placements in health settings facilitated by external providers. For a variety of reasons, there is a lack of placements on offer at present. Recent research has demonstrated simulation placements can deliver the same competency development as a traditional placement. This study describes a cost analysis of a five-day simulation-based learning programme across six different Australian universities and 28 simulation units. Cost information collected included salary costs, simulation staff costs, room hire, equipment costs consumables, etc. This informed total and cost per student demonstrating it is comparable to a similar occupational therapy simulation placement. Future work to compare simulation to traditional speech and language therapy placement costs would better inform future education in this field.

A cost analysis of a 5-day simulation-based learning program for speech-language pathology student training.
Ward EC, Caird E, Khanal S, et al.
INT J SPEECH-LANG PATHOL
2023;25(5):688–96.