Allied health clinical placements with a remote supervision model: Students’ and clinical educators’ perceptions

Figures & data

Figure 1. a) Traditional model of clinical supervision in the University of Queensland Health and Rehabilitation Clinics; b) Remote supervision model of clinical supervision in the University of Queensland Health and Rehabilitation Clinics.

Table 1. Participant characteristics–Clinical educators (n = 11).

Age, mean (SD) (range)	41.75 (7.2) (29 to 55)
Gender, n (%)
Female	10 (90.9)
Male	1 (9.1)
Discipline, n (%)
Speech Pathology	10 (90.9)
Occupational Therapy	1 (9.1)
Years’ experience as CE, mean (SD) (range)	8.25 (5.8) (2 to 22)
Clinic supervised, n (%)
Speech Pathology–Adult Clinic	2 (18.2)
Speech Pathology–Fluency Clinic	2 (18.2)
Speech Pathology–Paediatric Clinic	1 (9.1)
Speech Pathology–School-aged Clinic	5 (45.4)
Occupational Therapy–School-aged Clinic	1 (9.1)
Type of clinical placement, n (%)
Sessional	9 (81.8)
Block	2 (18.2)
Number of sessions concurrently supervised, n (%)
1 session	3 (27.3)
2 sessions	2 (18.2)
3 sessions	1 (9.1)
4 sessions	4 (36.3)
6 sessions	1 (9.1)
Previous telehealth experience, n (%)
No	6 (54.5)
Yes	5 (45.5)

Table 2. Participant characteristics–Students (n = 7).

Age, mean (SD) (range)	25.57 (3.7) (22 to 33)
Gender, n (%)
Female	5 (71.4)
Male	1 (14.3)
Other	1 (14.3)
Discipline, n (%)
Speech Pathology	5 (71.4)
Occupational Therapy	2 (28.6)
Location for clinical placement, n (%)
Brisbane, Australia	1 (14.3)
Singapore	4 (57.1)
Canada	2 (28.6)
Clinic completed, n (%)
Speech Pathology–School-aged Clinic	5 (71.4)
Occupational Therapy–School-aged Clinic	1 (14.3)
Unknown	1 (14.3)
Type of clinical placement, n (%)
Sessional	6 (85.7)
Block	1 (14.3)
Previous telehealth experience, n (%)
No	2 (28.6)
Yes	5 (71.4)

Table 3. Key considerations for implementing remote supervision.

Recommendation	Explanation
Training Remote supervision and delivery of clinical services via telehealth are considered discrete areas of skill. Clinic placement managers should ensure staff and students are trained in both. Prior experience in telehealth supports CEs and students to feel better prepared to engage with remote supervision.
Remote supervision	Develop training resources including how to:  ○ Provide in-session feedback;  ○ Provide post-session feedback;  ○ Structure the clinical placement and clinic days to ensure sufficient time for feedback and meetings;  ○ Support struggling students. Embed remote supervision training for CEs and students into placement orientation.
Telehealth	Provide training for CEs and students in delivering telehealth services (including evidence base). Ensure clients are prepared to transition to telehealth throughout their therapy block.
Resource development	Provide CEs and students time to develop resources required for remote supervision (clinical supervision resources) and telehealth (clinical resources).
Relationship development Where possible, remote supervision should be undertaken in a hybrid approach where in-person supervision can be provided in conjunction with remote supervision. This may facilitate improved relationship development between CEs and students.
In-person meetings	Students and CEs should meet in-person prior to undertaking remote supervision (where possible); In-person meetings should be scheduled at specific time points throughout the clinical placement (where possible) to facilitate continued relationship development.
Peer support	CEs should support students to connect with each other for support and sharing of resources; Managers should support CEs while engaging with remote supervision; Mangers should facilitate opportunities for CEs to link with peers for collegial support and resource sharing.
Placement structure
Regular check-ins	Establish a timetable which includes time for pre-and de-brief sessions and team meetings
Student learning considerations
Diversity of clinical placements	Students should be offered both telehealth and in-person clinical placements to ensure a diversity of professional experiences (where possible)
Student personality and learning style considerations	CEs should consider individual student’s learning styles and personalities, and the impact this may have on their performance in a remote supervision model.  ○ Written vs verbal feedback  ○ Delayed vs immediate feedback  ○ In-person meetings