Accountability Measures Employed by Speech-Language Pathologists in Private Practice

Abstract

This study examined the accountability practices of speech-language pathologists employed in private practice. A second issue was the examination of speech-language pathologists' attitudes toward accountability. A stratified random sample of 1,000 speech-language pathologists in private practice, selected by ASHA from a database, served as participants. The participants were asked to complete and return a questionnaire concerning the use of various accountability methods and their attitudes toward accountability. Results of this study suggest that the traditional methods of accountability in which the speech-language pathologist is trained are frequently used by most respondents. Respondents' attitudes toward accountability were found to be varied. Implications for use of the information obtained in this study are identified along with suggestions for improvement of accountability in the field of communication disorders.