Participants' perspective on a COVID-19 online vocal group stimulation for people with Parkinson's disease.
Marie-Christine Hallé, Charline Delorme, Édith Coulombe and 2 others
PMID 36189073WHAT IT FOUND
People with Parkinson's disease who joined an online daily voice group reported feeling less isolated and more confident in their communication.
Most had never received speech therapy before. Participants valued the social connection and perceived benefits to their voice and swallowing.
Key findings
01Most respondents had never received speech-language therapy services prior to joining the online group.
02Participants reported perceived improvements in voice, swallowing, and communication confidence, as well as reduced social isolation.
03The activity did not meet all needs, with some participants reporting no improvement, throat irritation, or a desire for individual feedback.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is a survey of participants' perceptions, not a controlled trial, so it cannot prove the intervention caused the reported improvements. There is a potential selection bias, as only 37 of 45 invited participants responded, and these may be the most motivated users. The survey was not scientifically validated and was designed rapidly for service quality purposes. Demographic data such as disease duration, severity, race, and gender were not collected, limiting understanding of who benefits most. Concurrent treatments, such as new medication, were mentioned by participants as potential causes for perceived improvement, but these were not controlled for.
Declared interests
Author IV was a co-founder of the MdlV activity and the non-profit created to sustain it, and she acted as a facilitator in its early stages. The study was supported by Parkinson Québec and the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Quebec.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reported improvements in voice and swallowing as evidence of clinical efficacy. The study relied on self-reported perceptions without objective measures or a control group, and participants noted that concurrent medication changes may have contributed to their perceived gains.