Instruments for screening and assessing oral language in preschool children via digital health: a scoping review

TL;DR

This review explores digital tools for assessing preschool children's oral language, finding that telehealth is feasible but needs more research.

Contribution

The study identifies and categorizes digital health instruments for early childhood oral language screening and assessment.

Findings

Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria for digital oral language assessment in early childhood.

Videoconferencing was the most commonly used digital modality for these assessments.

Most studies were conducted in clinical contexts with speech-language pathologists.

Abstract

the unequal distribution of specialized professionals has motivated research in digital health to address the needs of oral language care in early childhood, considering that language delays are frequent concerns at this stage. This scoping review investigated: “Which instruments are applicable for oral language screening and assessment in early childhood using digital health?”.

the databases consulted were PubMed, Web of Science, LILACS, Embase, and Scopus, in addition to grey literature through Google Scholar and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

Studies were included if they used oral language screening and assessment tests delivered via teleconsultation, mobile applications, or web-based tools, with no restrictions on time, language, or ethnicity, in clinical, educational, or non-clinical contexts.

Of the 2,435 studies identified, 20 met the inclusion criteria.

Eleven studies investigated the screening of language skills and nine addressed language assessment through digital means. Fourteen studies adapted previously validated face-to-face tests for online use; four developed specific tools for teleconsultation; and two conducted synchronous or asynchronous observations without standardized protocols. Most studies were carried out in clinical contexts with speech-language pathologists, although community health workers also participated in some cases. Videoconferencing was the most frequently used digital modality.

The findings of this review reinforce the feasibility of telehealth for screening and assessing oral language in early childhood, highlighting the need for further research to consolidate evidence-based practices in speech-language telehealth.

A distribuição desigual de profissionais especializados tem motivado pesquisas em saúde digital para atender às necessidades do cuidado em linguagem oral na infância, considerando que atrasos de linguagem são queixas frequentes nessa fase. Esta revisão de escopo investigou: “Quais instrumentos são aplicáveis para triagem e avaliação da linguagem oral na primeira infância usando saúde digital?”.

as bases de dados consultadas foram PubMed, Web of Science, LILACS, Embase e Scopus, além da literatura cinzenta, por meio do Google Scholar e do ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

foram incluídos estudos que utilizaram testes de triagem e avaliação da linguagem oral por meio de teleconsulta, aplicativos e ferramentas web, sem restrição de tempo, idioma ou etnia, em contextos clínicos, educacionais e não clínicos.

dos 2.435 estudos localizados, 20 compuseram a amostra final.

Onze estudos avaliaram a triagem de habilidades de linguagem e nove pesquisaram a avaliação da linguagem por meio digital. Quatorze estudos adaptaram para o formato online testes previamente validados presencialmente; quatro desenvolveram ferramentas específicas para teleconsulta e dois realizaram observações síncronas ou assíncronas sem protocolos definidos. A maioria das pesquisas foi conduzida em contextos clínicos com fonoaudiólogos, embora agentes comunitários de saúde também tenham participado de alguns estudos. A videoconferência foi a modalidade digital mais utilizada.

os achados desta revisão reforçam a viabilidade da telessaúde para triagem e avaliação da linguagem oral, evidenciando a necessidade de mais pesquisas para consolidar a atuação baseada em evidências na telefonoaudiologia.

Figures