Voice Therapy for Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil.
Mariana Rebeka Gomes Queiroz, Leandro Pernambuco, Rebeca Lins de Souza Leão and 4 others
PMID 36550002WHAT IT FOUND
Brazilian voice therapists reported giving older adults both in-person and teletherapy during the pandemic.
They reported masks hindered in-person work, while voice assessment was the main remote barrier, though most said patients adhered well.
Key findings
01Of 155 analysed responses, 35.4% reported using both in-person and teletherapy for older adults.
02Mask use was reported as the main hindrance in in-person therapy, and voice assessment as the main barrier in teletherapy.
03Patient adherence and goals reached were reportedly positive for most respondents in either format.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This is a self-reported survey of therapists, not a test of voice therapy outcomes in patients. It describes the pandemic period in Brazil, so the barriers and adaptations may not apply elsewhere or now. Respondents were mostly from the Southeast region, so it may not represent therapists across Brazil. Recruitment through social networks, referrals, and professional contacts may have reached more connected therapists. The authors note a risk of false positive associations because many variables were compared. Of 264 responses, only 155 met the analysis focus on older adults during the pandemic, so the analysed group is smaller than the response pool.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that teletherapy improves voice outcomes in older adults. It is a self-reported survey of Brazilian therapists' experiences during the pandemic, with no objective voice measurements or comparison group.