An introduction to the speechbite database: Speech pathology database for best interventions and treatment efficacy

This paper describes the development of the Speech Pathology Database for Best Interventions and Treatment Efficacy (speechBITE) at The University of Sydney. The speechBITE database is designed to provide better access to the intervention research relevant to speech pathology and to help clinicians interpret treatment research. The challenges speech pathologists face when locating research to support evidence-based practice have been well documented and include inadequate time resources and difficulties in navigating and using a multiplicity of electronic databases. These barriers are addressed by speechBITE by providing the first open-access database on the internet that solely indexes treatment in the area of communication and swallowing disorders. The database includes the bibliographic details from systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized controlled trials, case series, and singlecase experimental design studies. At present, randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials are rated with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale to assist clinicians with interpreting the methodological quality of the clinical studies of relevance to speech pathologists.