There is very limited research in regards to group speech therapy via telehealth in individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. I found this article in aiding my background and literature research in the topic.
The goal of this study was to see if telerehabilitation could be used to offer a group speech maintenance program, seen through eLoud and Proud, to patients with Parkinson’s disease. The method included eight people who have previously had LSVT LOUD were given treatment. The program, which lasted four weeks and consisted of two 90-minute sessions each week, focused on employing a “loud” voice in conversational and cognitively demanding activities. At three time points, data on sound pressure level (for sustained phonation, reading, and monologue tasks), maximum frequency range, maximum phonation duration, and impact of dysarthria on quality of life were collected. This include before treatment, immediately after treatment, and three months after treatment. At 3 months after the treatment, participants’ satisfaction with telerehabilitation was also measured. Significant gains were found in all three measures before treatment and were maintained for sustained phonation and reading activities at three months post-treatment, according to the findings. The remaining outcome measures revealed no significant differences. Telerehabilitation was generally well received by participants, who saw it as a viable alternative to traditional service delivery. To summarize, this research established the possibility of offering group speech maintenance therapy via telerehabilitation, as well as the ability of eLoud and Proud to enhance and maintain voice loudness in adults with Parkinson’s disease.
Hi Christa! The prospect of remote speech therapy sounds like a fresh and exciting addition to the field. I know a lot of SLPs have been resorting to teletherapy due to the pandemic, so it makes sense that new research and studies are coming out with a focus geared towards this topic. It’s reassuring to know that these non-traditional types of methods are helping patients because there’s so much diversity out there in terms of disabilities, availabilities, best means of rehabilitation, etc. Hopefully, these strides will carry through to the future to make speech therapy as seamless as possible in all its various forms! Thank you for sharing, Christa!