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Background: NHS case note data are a potential source of practice-based evidence which could be used to investigate the effectiveness of different interventions for individuals with a range of speech, language and communication needs. Consistency in pre- and post-intervention data as well as the collection of relevant variables would need to be demonstrated as a precursor to adopting this approach in future investigations of speech and language therapy intervention. Aims: To explore whether routine clinical data collection for children with speech sound disorder (SSD) could be a potential source for examining the effectiveness of intervention(s). Methods & Procedures: We examined case notes from three UK NHS services, reviewing 174 sets of case notes and 234 blocks of therapy provided for school-age children with SSD. Main contribution: We found there was significant variation in pre- and post-intervention data and variables collected by the services. The assessment data available in the case notes across all sites were insufficient to be used to compare the effectiveness of different interventions. Specific issues included lack of consistent reporting of pre- and post-intervention data, and use of a variety of both formal and informal assessment tools. Conclusions & Implications: The case notes reviewed were from three sites and may not represent wider clinical practice, nevertheless the findings suggest the sample explored indicates the need for more consistent and contemporaneous collection of data for children with SSD to facilitate the investigation of different interventions in practice. Researchers should work with the clinical community to determine a minimal dataset that includes a core outcome set and potential variables. This should be feasible to collect in clinical practice and provide a dataset for future investigations of clinically relevant research questions. This would provide an invaluable resource to the clinical academic and research communities enabling research questions to be addressed that have the potential to lead to improved outcomes and more cost-effective services.

The ultimate aim of intervention for children with language impairment is an improvement in their functional language skills. Baseline and outcome measurement of this is often problematic however and practitioners commonly resort to using formal assessments that may not adequately reflect the child's competence. Language sampling, transcription and analysis provide a more thorough and realistic picture of a child's abilities but are time consuming and usually considered unfeasible in the typical clinic setting. This article reports on a pilot study in which a speech and language therapy assistant (SLTA) carried out language transcription using language analysis software. Following a brief initial training period, the SLTA carried out transcriptions on 17 language samples at two time periods. Reliability between a speech and language therapist and the assistant's transcriptions were calculated and were found to be acceptable for the majority of measures taken. The use of software by assistants is proposed as a viable alternative for outcome measurement of naturalistic language skills.

Healthcare worker violence at the hands of patients is the leading cause of workplace injury with reports demonstrating yearly increases. Literature suggests organizational strategies to reduce workplace injury are necessary to create safe environments for patients to receive care and for healthcare workers to practice, but tactics lack a care continuum focus and largely focus on deescalation and management of violent events. One healthcare system identified that the use of an assessment widely used in Canada, identifying patients at risk for violent behaviors, would supplement already existing efforts at protecting patients. The implementation of this tool across care settings is presented in this article., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)