The 2002 Inanpower and professional service of speech language pathology and audiology in Taiwan

Abstract

The speech and hearing service in Taiwan has been developing for 30 years. This presentation will focus on the speech and hearing service as well as its current manpower in the profession. The aims of this presentation are: (1) a retrospective review of speech and hearing services since 1967; (2) demonstration of the demographics of current speech and hearing manpower; (3) current manpower supply and forecast manpower in the future; (4) demonstration of present challenges in this profession. The speech and hearing service in Taiwan started as a medical mode/in 1967. Several earlier professional training programmes had been provided and organized by two national hospitals, the National Taiwan University Hospital and the National Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, and sponsored by the Department of Health. One university programme and two graduate programmes were established recently to offer academic education in speech language pathology and audiology. The current demographics of 486 registered members have shown 170 members providing audiological services, 295 providing speech and language services and 22 members with dual services. The data have also indicated 86.6% of the members in healthcare facilities in contrast with 4.5% in the school system, and a strongly female-dominated profession with a female to male sex ratio of 6.5:1. The current manpower supply in this profession is 2.2 persons per 100000 population, 1.8 persons in the audiological service and 1.3 in the speech and language service, across the nation. Several problems are challenging this profession: (1) a tremendous discrepancy between manpower supply and demands of the service; (2) a method to demonstrate the intervention efficacy outcome of the service; (3) active in-service continuing education to meet the needs; (4) expansion of service delivery models other than the medical model. The manpower supply will reach 3.6 persons per 100 000 population in the next five years and the issue of national certification and licensure of the speech and hearing service will demand more attention.