Voice Therapy in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Guidelines for Clinical Practice.
Adrián Castillo-Allendes, Francisco Contreras-Ruston, Lady Catherine Cantor-Cutiva and 8 others
PMID 32878736WHAT IT FOUND
Voice therapy is classified as a high-risk aerosol-generating procedure.
Clinicians should prioritize telepractice to minimize exposure, use N95 respirators and barriers for any in-person assessment, and limit face-to-face interactions to under 15 minutes.
Key findings
01Voice therapy and instrumental voice evaluation are defined as aerosol-generating procedures that carry a high risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
02Telepractice is recommended as a low-risk alternative for voice assessment and therapy, though it may not be suitable for all patients.
03For in-person voice assessments, clinicians should wear N95 respirators, use physical barriers, and keep interactions under 15 minutes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
No patients or other health professionals were included in the guideline development group. The recommendations are largely based on clinical experience and limited scientific evidence specific to voice therapy during the pandemic. The guidelines do not address long-term outcomes of telepractice for voice disorders.
Declared interests
Authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these guidelines prove telepractice is equally effective as face-to-face therapy for all voice disorders. The authors state that evidence for voice therapy during the pandemic is limited and that recommendations rely heavily on expert consensus rather than new clinical trials.