Web-Based Perceived Present Control Intervention for Voice Disorders: A Pilot Study.

The study had no control group, so the change in voice handicap cannot be assumed to be caused by the intervention. Only 20 participants were studied, and the 10 clinic patients and 10 community participants were too small for meaningful subgroup comparisons. One community participant did not complete the intervention but was included in the analysis. Community participants self-identified a voice disorder without medical confirmation, and laryngoscopy was available only for clinic participants. There was no follow-up assessment, so it is not known whether changes lasted. The perceived stress measure had low internal consistency at pretest, with Cronbach's alpha .50, so its result should be read cautiously. Participants were excluded if they were receiving speech therapy, so the study does not show how the program works alongside usual voice treatment. The minimal important difference for muscle tension dysphonia was not known, so the 4-point cutoff used was uncertain. The authors note that average posttest voice handicap scores remained abnormal, so the program should not be considered stand-alone.

Do not conclude that the web-based perceived present control program caused the self-reported voice handicap reduction. The study had no control group, and the authors state that change cannot be assumed to be attributed to the intervention.