Cost analysis of home telerehabilitation for speech treatment in people with Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Geographical barriers and impaired physical mobility among people with Parkinson's disease (PD) hinder their timely access to speech pathology services. We compared the costs of delivering a speech treatment via in-person consultation versus telerehabilitation.

Methods: We used data from a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial delivering the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD®), where patients with dysarthria associated with PD were assigned to either the urban in-person group ( = 16) or the urban online group ( = 15), supplemented with a non-randomised group (regional online;  = 21).

Clinical and Quality of Life Outcomes of Speech Treatment for Parkinson's Disease Delivered to the Home Via Telerehabilitation: A Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: This study investigated the noninferiority and validity of an intensive speech treatment for people with Parkinson's disease (PD) delivered via telerehabilitation to the home. The effect of location on online delivery was also investigated.

Method: In this single-blinded, randomized controlled noninferiority trial, 31 participants with dysarthria associated with PD from a metropolitan area were randomly assigned to either face-to-face or online Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD).

Assessment and Treatment of Cognition and Communication Skills in Adults With Acquired Brain Injury via Telepractice: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: This is a systematic review of assessment and treatment of cognitive and communicative abilities of individuals with acquired brain injury via telepractice versus in person. The a priori clinical questions were informed by previous research that highlights the importance of considering any functional implications of outcomes, determining disorder- and setting-specific concerns, and measuring the potential impact of diagnostic accuracy and treatment efficacy data on interpretation of findings.

Method: A literature search of multiple databases (e.

Development, construction, and content validation of a questionnaire to test mobile shower commode usability.

Background: Usability is an emerging domain of outcomes measurement in assistive technology provision. Currently, no questionnaires exist to test the usability of mobile shower commodes (MSCs) used by adults with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Objective: To describe the development, construction, and initial content validation of an electronic questionnaire to test mobile shower commode usability for this population.

Delivery of Intensive Voice Therapy for Vocal Fold Nodules Via Telepractice: A Pilot Feasibility and Efficacy Study.

Objectives: This pilot study examined voice outcomes and patient perceptions after intensive voice therapy for vocal fold nodules via telepractice.

Study Design: Pilot, within-subjects experimental trial.

Methods: Participants included 10 women diagnosed with bilateral vocal fold nodules who received intensive voice treatment via a free videoconferencing platform Skype, (Microsoft Corp.

Intensive versus traditional voice therapy for vocal nodules: perceptual, physiological, acoustic and aerodynamic changes.

Objectives: To investigate the perceptual, physiological, acoustic, and aerodynamic outcomes of patients with vocal nodules following intensive voice treatment compared with traditional voice treatment.

Study Design: Pragmatic randomized clinical trial.

Methods: Fifty-three women diagnosed with bilateral vocal nodules participated in the study.

Impact of dysphagia severity on clinical decision making via telerehabilitation.

Objective: Recent research supports the proposal that valid and reliable clinical swallow examinations (CSEs) can be conducted via telerehabilitation. However, no studies have explored whether dysphagia severity has an impact on the success of the session or its outcomes. The current study examined how dysphagia severity impacted on either (a) clinical decision making for safety of oral intake or (b) clinician perceptions of CSEs conducted via telerehabilitation.

Evaluation of a Clinical Service Model for Dysphagia Assessment via Telerehabilitation.

Emerging research supports the feasibility and viability of conducting clinical swallow examinations (CSE) for patients with dysphagia via telerehabilitation. However, minimal data has been reported to date regarding the implementation of such services within the clinical setting or the user perceptions of this type of clinical service. A mixed methods study design was employed to examine the outcomes of a weekly dysphagia assessment clinic conducted via telerehabilitation and examine issues relating to service delivery and user perceptions.

The performance of standardized patients in portraying clinical scenarios in speech-language therapy.

Background: Standardized patients (SPs) are frequently included in the clinical preparation of students in the health sciences. An acknowledged benefit of using SPs is the opportunity to provide a standardized method by which students can demonstrate and develop their competency. Relatively little is known, however, about the capacity of SPs to offer an accurate and standardized performance across a speech-language therapy student cohort.

Assessment of student competency in a simulated speech-language pathology clinical placement.

Clinical education programs in speech-language pathology enable the transition of students' knowledge and skills from the classroom to the workplace. Simulated clinical learning experiences provide an opportunity to address the competency development of novice students. This study reports on the validation of an assessment tool designed to evaluate speech-language pathology students' performance in a simulated clinical placement.

Speech-language pathology students' perceptions of a standardised patient clinic.

Unlabelled: This study aimed to investigate speech-language pathology students' perceptions of a foundation clinical skills simulation program incorporating standardised patients (SPs) by determining if experiences with SPs decreased students' anxiety about interaction with real clients and increased confidence in clinical skills. In addition, it aimed to identify students' overall perceptions of the SP experience.

Methods: The study used a pre-post design.

Reflections on clinical learning in novice speech-language therapy students.

Background: Reflective practice is reported to enhance clinical reasoning and therefore to maximize client outcomes. The inclusion of targeted reflective practice in academic programmes in speech-language therapy has not been consistent, although providing opportunities for speech-language therapy students to reflect during their clinical practice has been reported. Indeed, there has been limited investigation of the nature of speech-language therapy students' reflections.

Assessing children's speech intelligibility and oral structures, and functions via an Internet-based telehealth system.

We examined the validity and reliability of an Internet-based telehealth system for screening speech intelligibility and oro-motor structure, and function in children with speech disorders. Twenty children aged 4-9 years were assessed by a clinician in the conventional, face-to-face (FTF) manner; simultaneously, they were assessed by a second clinician via the videoconferencing system using a 128-kbit/s Internet connection. Speech intelligibility in conversation was rated and an informal assessment of oro-motor structure and function was conducted.

Amount of kinematic feedback affects learning of speech motor skills.

Knowledge of Performance (KP) feedback, such as biofeedback or kinematic feedback, is used to provide information on the nature and quality of movement responses for the purpose of guiding active learning or rehabilitation of motor skills. It has been proposed that KP feedback may interfere with long-term learning when provided throughout training. Here, twelve healthy English-speaking adults were trained to produce a trilled Russian [r] in words with KP kinematic feedback using electropalatography (EPG) and without KP (noKP).

Assessment of children's literacy via an Internet-based telehealth system.

Objective: Interactive telehealth applications have potential for the assessment of reading disability in school-aged children. However, there is currently a lack of research on the validity of such applications. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of an Internet-based videoconferencing system for the assessment of children's literacy on a battery of standardized assessments.

A review of standardized patients in clinical education: Implications for speech-language pathology programs.

The use of standardized patients has been reported as a viable addition to traditional models of professional practice education in medicine, nursing and allied health programs. Educational programs rely on the inclusion of work-integrated learning components in order to graduate competent practitioners. Allied health programs world-wide have reported increasing difficulty in attaining sufficient traditional placements for students within the workplace.

Changes to articulation following LSVT(R) and traditional dysarthria therapy in non-progressive dysarthria.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT(R)) on acoustic and perceptual measures of articulation in non-progressive dysarthria in comparison to traditional dysarthria therapy. The study involved 26 individuals with non-progressive dysarthria who were randomly allocated to receive either LSVT(R) or traditional dysarthria therapy (TRAD), both of which were administered for 16 hourly sessions over 4 weeks. Participants' speech samples were collected over a total of six testing sessions during three assessment phases: (1) prior to treatment, (2) immediately post-treatment, and (3) 6 months post-treatment (FU).

Internet-based telehealth assessment of language using the CELF-4.

Purpose: Telehealth has the potential to improve children's access to speech-language pathology services. Validation of telehealth applications, including the assessment of childhood language disorders, is necessary for telehealth to become an accepted alternative mode of service provision. The aim of this study was to validate an Internet-based telehealth system for assessing childhood language disorders.

Home-based speech treatment for Parkinson's disease delivered remotely: a case report.

We investigated the validity and feasibility of online delivery of the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) for the treatment of the speech disorder of a patient with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The treatment was delivered in 16 sessions to the participant's home, 90 km from the speech language pathologist. A PC-based videoconferencing system was used, operating at 128 kbit/s over the public telecommunications network.

The redesign and re-evaluation of an internet-based telerehabilitation system for the assessment of dysarthria in adults.

A previous study revealed that reliable assessment of dysarthria was feasible. However, that study also revealed a number of system limitations and suggested that technological enhancements and improvements in study design and clinical assessment protocols were needed before validity and reliability of assessment of dysarthria via telerehabilitation could be confirmed. In the current study, improvements in technology, study design, and clinical assessment protocols were implemented in order to re-examine the validity and reliability of assessing and diagnosing dysarthria via the telerehabilitation medium.

Telerehabilitation for service delivery in speech-language pathology.

Communication disorders in adults and children can have a significant effect on their quality of life and on that of their families. Speech-language pathologists face several challenges in providing assessment and treatment services to such people. Challenges include facilitating equitable access to services and providing appropriate management within a changing social and economic context.

Acoustic and electroglottographic voice characteristics in chronic cough and paradoxical vocal fold movement.

Objective: Chronic cough (CC) and paradoxical vocal fold movement (PVFM) may be associated with voice problems. Objective acoustic and electroglottographic (EGG) measures have the capacity to delineate these vocal characteristics. This study investigated acoustic and EGG voice features of CC and PVFM.

The role of sensory dysfunction in the development of voice disorders, chronic cough and paradoxical vocal fold movement.

Sensory function may be important in the pathogenesis of Chronic Cough (CC) and Paradoxical Vocal Fold Movement (PVFM). This paper aims to explore sensory issues related to the pathogenesis, classification, assessment and management of these conditions. Sensory disruption of the vagus nerve can occur through neural plasticity whereby a change occurs in the way a central neuron reacts to an incoming stimulus.

Perceptual voice characteristics in chronic cough and paradoxical vocal fold movement.

Voice problems have been reported in chronic cough (CC) and paradoxical vocal fold movement (PVFM), however, there is a lack of a systematic description of voice characteristics in these conditions. This study examined the perceptual voice characteristics of 56 individuals with CC, 8 with PVFM and 55 with both CC and PVFM, compared to 25 people with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) and 27 healthy controls. There was a high prevalence of abnormal voice quality in the CC and PVFM groups compared with healthy controls.

A comparison of two approaches to the treatment of chronic cough: perceptual, acoustic, and electroglottographic outcomes.

Voice problems have been reported to occur in association with chronic cough (CC) and can interfere with quality of life. Voice symptoms can improve following behavioral intervention for CC that persists despite medical management; however, formal measures of voice changes have not been reported. The aim of this study was to measure the changes in perceptual, acoustic, and electroglottographic voice characteristics after a SPEech Pathology Intervention Program for CHronic Cough (SPEICH-C) compared to a Healthy Lifestyle Education intervention program (HLE control).