Applications of Telemedicine in Speech-Language Pathology: Evaluation of Patient Satisfaction.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to evaluate patient satisfaction with speech-language therapy televisits and to identify factors influencing the level of satisfaction. METHODS: Participants were recruited from an academic tertiary voice and swallowing center who had completed ≥1 telehealth session of speech-language therapy with a speech-language pathologist between March, 2020 and April, 2021. Patient satisfaction was assessed using the Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction (SAPS), a validated 7-item survey. Demographic characteristics of participants were collected from a review of patient charts. RESULTS: 65/239 patients completed the SAPS survey, representing a response rate of 27%. The average age of study participants was 54.92 ± 16.45 years, with 49.2% identifying as female, 33.9% as male, and 16.9% as trans-female. The mean SAPS score was 22.60 ± 3.89, with 84.62% of patients satisfied or very satisfied with their visit. Patients were most satisfied with provider respect (3.91 ± 0.34) and care received (3.74 ± 0.64), and least satisfied with visit length (2.32 ± 1.38) and explanation of treatment results (2.62 ± 1.72). Patient satisfaction was positively correlated with younger age and an increased number of televisits. Satisfaction did not differ significantly by gender identity, type of therapy received, insurance type, travel distance, or prior in-person therapy. CONCLUSION: Clinicians are able to achieve high patient satisfaction with speech-language therapy when delivered by telehealth. Patient satisfaction remained high across diverse patient populations and range of clinical needs. Clinicians should remain cognizant of the unique limitations of older patients when conducting telehealth visits. LAY SUMMARY: Clinicians are able to achieve high patient satisfaction with speech-language therapy when delivered via telehealth. Satisfaction remained high regardless of gender identity, type of therapy received, type of insurance, travel distance, or completion of prior in-person therapy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 133:895-900, 2023.

Patient Satisfaction and Acoustic Changes in Trans Women after Gender Affirming Voice Training.

OBJECTIVES: Gains in pitch from gender affirming voice training (GVT) alone in trans women have historically been shown to decline after 1 year. Currently no standard exists for length and type of GVT that yields meaningful behavioral change and patient satisfaction with voice outcomes in trans women. This study aims to determine whether GVT alone leads to sustained pitch elevation and patient satisfaction in trans women. METHODS: Retrospective review from 2016 to 2020 of trans women patients who underwent GVT alone for voice change. Charts were reviewed for acoustic analysis of pitch including sustained vowel fundamental frequency, speaking fundamental frequency, and quality of life data from the Trans Woman Voice Questionnaire at pre-therapy, immediate post-therapy, and extended post-therapy time intervals. RESULTS: A total of 157 patients presented to our Voice Center, of which 34 participated in the full course of GVT. Patients underwent an average of six sessions of GVT (range 5-7) over an average of 13.14 weeks (range 6-16). Average time between completing GVT and presenting for extended follow-up was 11.37 months (range 6-31). Compared to initial presentation prior to therapy, at extended follow-up after completing GVT average change in F0/a/, SF0, and TWVQ were 64.6 Hz, 31.3 Hz, and 32.45. No significant change was noted between immediate post-therapy and extended post-therapy acoustic measures. TWVQ demonstrated continued improvement between immediate post-therapy and extended post-therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In self-selected patients who present for extended follow-up, GVT alone can result in sustained pitch elevation and voice-related quality life in trans women. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 133:2340-2345, 2023.

1-Year Results of Combined Modified Wendler Glottoplasty with Voice Therapy in Transgender Women.

BACKGROUND: To date, 1-year evaluation of pitch elevation in patients undergoing modified Wendler glottoplasty (WG) in combination with VT has not been assessed. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether 1-year pitch elevation is sustained in patients who undergo modified WG in combination with VT for voice feminization. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients who underwent WG in combination with voice therapy (VT) was performed from 2016 to 2020. Charts were reviewed for sustained vowel fundamental frequency (F0/a/), speaking fundamental frequency (SF0), and Trans Woman Voice Questionnaire (TWVQ) at preoperative, initial postoperative (3-6 months after surgery), and 12-month postoperative visits. RESULTS: Change in average F0/a/, SF0 and TWVQ was 50.25 Hz, 32.96 Hz, and 32.6 at 12-months postoperatively compared to preoperative values. Initial and 12-month postoperative SF0 were significantly higher than preoperative SF0 (Mann-Whitney U test p = 0.0042, p = 0.0010). There was no difference in initial postoperative and 12-month postoperative SF0 (p = 0.50). TWVQ at 12 months was significantly lower than preoperative TWVQ (ANOVA p < 0.001, Tukey honestly significant difference HSD p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pitch elevation remains sustained at one year in patients undergoing modified WG in combination with VT. Modified Wendler glottoplasty combined with VT results in relatively long-term improvements in voice-related quality of life and is possibly a beneficial addition in the long-term management of patients who desire voice feminization. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 133:615-620, 2023.

Standardized Behavioral Treatment Improves Chronic Cough.

OBJECTIVES: Neurogenic Laryngeal Hypersensitivity (NLH) refers to a constellation of upper airway symptoms thought to be caused by a disturbance in afferent and/or efferent neural pathways creating an exaggerated hypersensitive laryngeal response. There is evidence to support behavioral therapy as treatment for improving symptoms from laryngeal motor dysfunction to sensory disturbance. This study aims to determine if there is significant symptomatic improvement in patients with NLH who received non-pharmacologic behavioral treatment performed by trained SLPs. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review. METHODS: A review of all patients with NLH from 2017 to 2020 was performed at a tertiary care voice and swallowing center. Subjects with persistent symptoms despite maximal medical management were considered for inclusion. Newcastle Laryngeal Hypersensitivity Questionnaire (NLHQ) was completed by patients before and after undergoing therapy by one of three trained SLPs. Posttherapy improvement was determined by utilizing the NLHQ's minimal clinically important difference of 1.7 points. RESULTS: A total of 81 patients were included in this study. Study participants included 61 women and 20 men with an average age of 60.64±14.05 years. There was a statistically significant difference between the pre and post therapy scores amongst all patients when treated by each individual SLP and all three SLPs combined (P < 0.008). There was a clinically significant change in 66% of all patients, 76% of which presented with abnormal NLHQ scores, and 14% who presented with normal NLHQ scores. CONCLUSIONS: A standardized behavioral treatment protocol for patients with symptoms consistent with NLH is effective in improving symptoms in a large majority of patients. When following a standardized protocol SLPs can obtain similar results for their patients.

Predictive values of static endoscopic evaluation of swallowing in adults.

OBJECTIVE: Static endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (SEES) is an instrumental evaluation developed for in-office identification of patients who may benefit from a modified barium swallow study (MBSS). We aim to determine the predictive value of SEES for evaluating dysphagia. METHODS: A retrospective case series was performed on adults evaluated for dysphagia using SEES followed by MBSS at a single tertiary care center. Studies were evaluated by two blinded expert raters. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients were included. Thin liquid penetration on SEES had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.86 (95% CI 0.70-0.95), 0.63 (95% CI 0.24-0.91), 0.91 (95% CI 0.76-0.98), and 0.5 (0.19-0.81), respectively, for predicting thin liquid penetration on MBSS, and 1.0 (95% CI 0.59-1.0), 0.29 (95% CI 0.15-0.47), 0.23 (95% CI 0.10-0.41), and 1.0 (95% CI 0.69-1.0) for predicting thin liquid aspiration on MBSS. Thin liquid aspiration on SEES had a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 0.67 (95% CI 0.09-0.99), 0.85 (95% CI 0.66-0.96), 0.33 (95% CI 0.04-0.78), and 0.96 (95% CI 0.79-1.0), respectively, for predicting thin liquid aspiration on MBSS. CONCLUSIONS: SEES may be used as an objective in-office test to screen for aspiration and penetration. Thin liquid penetration on SEES is moderately sensitive for predicting penetration on MBSS. Absence of thin liquid penetration or aspiration on SEES has a high NPV for excluding aspiration on MBSS. Abnormalities on SEES or the need to view the entire swallowing mechanism should prompt an MBSS for a more complete evaluation of dysphagia.Level of Evidence: 4.

Effect of Wendler Glottoplasty on Acoustic Measures of Voice.

OBJECTIVES: Voice therapy has been the primary treatment for voice feminization in transfemale patients due to concerns that surgery worsens voice quality. We aim to determine the impact of Wendler glottoplasty on acoustic measures of voice. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Transgender female patients treated for vocal feminization with Wendler glottoplasty at a single tertiary care center were identified. Pre- and postoperative measures were taken with the Kay Elemetrics Real-Time Pitch, Analysis of Dysphonia in Speech and Voice, and Multidimensional Voice Program. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients were included in this study. There were no statistically significant changes in fundamental frequency variation, peak amplitude variation, soft phonation index, noise-to-harmonics ratio, cepstral peak prominence, or cepstral spectral index of dysphonia at a significance level of P < .05. Average speaking fundamental frequency (SF0) increased from 143 Hz after voice therapy to 163 Hz after surgery (P = .0009). Lower range decreased in 61% and increased in 26% of patients. Upper range decreased in 52% and increased in 48% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Wendler glottoplasty does not worsen voice quality based on acoustic measures. Although most patients experience an increase in average SF0, effects on vocal range are variable with approximately half of patients experiencing a reduction and half experiencing an increase in upper pitch limit. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:583-586, 2021.

Addition of Wendler Glottoplasty to Voice Therapy Improves Trans Female Voice Outcomes.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: VT is often considered the preferred treatment for vocal feminization in transgender patients. However, Wendler glottoplasty offers a surgical option for increasing fundamental frequency and perception of vocal femininity. We aimed to determine whether the addition of glottoplasty to VT results in greater fundamental frequency elevation and improvement in quality-of-life measures. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Forty-eight trans female patients were treated for vocal feminization. Twenty-seven patients underwent VT, and 21 patients underwent VT with additional glottoplasty (VTWG). Pre- and posttreatment acoustic measures, Trans Woman Voice Questionnaire (TWVQ), and Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) data were compared. RESULTS: Glottoplasty in combination with VT elevated average speaking fundamental frequency (SF0) to a greater extent than VT alone (P < .0001). The VTWG group achieved a 42-Hz increase in SF0, whereas the VT group achieved a 15-Hz increase in SF0. In both the VT and VTWG groups, the lower bound of physiologic range increased by 18 Hz (P = .0008 and P = .016, respectively). The addition of glottoplasty also resulted in greater improvement in voice-related quality of life. Improvement in TWVQ and VHI-10 was significantly greater in the VTWG group than the VT group (P = .007 and P = .029, respectively). TWVQ showed statistically significant improvement in the VTWG group only. CONCLUSIONS: VT results in SF0 elevation and improvement in VHI-10. The addition of glottoplasty to VT results in further improvements in SF0 and VHI-10 and statistically significant improvement in TWVQ. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:1588-1593, 2021.

Measuring the impact of dysphonia on quality of life using health state preferences.

OBJECTIVES: Formal evaluation of health states related to dysphonia have not been rigorously evaluated in affected patients. The objective of this project was to evaluate the health states of mild, moderate, and severe dysphonia using formal health state preference evaluation, and to compare these outcomes with the degree of voice handicap. DESIGN: Prospective health state preference assessment. METHODS: A convenience sample of patients presenting with voice complaints were enrolled from an academic voice center. Demographic and voice handicap index (VHI-10) data were obtained, and an assessment of preference for five health states (monocular blindness, binocular blindness, mild dysphonia, moderate dysphonia, and severe dysphonia) was performed. Utility scores were calculated on a scale from 0 (death) to 1 (perfect health). Analysis was performed with ANOVA testing with post-hoc comparisons and correlation statistics. RESULTS: Of 209 assessments, 149 (75.6%) met quality criteria. Relative to monocular blindness (score 0.61 [CI 0.57-0.64]), moderate dysphonia (0.58 [0.54-0.62]) was rated equivalently, with severe dysphonia (0.33 [0.29-0.37]) ranking significantly worse and mild dysphonia (0.96 [0.95-0.98]) significantly better. Binocular blindness (0.18 [0.15-0.21]) was the worst-ranked health state. There was a weak inverse correlation of VHI-10 with dysphonia-related preference scores; with worsening reported voice handicap, scores decreased. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that dysphonia had a significant impact of quality of life, with moderate dysphonia ranking equivalently with monocular blindness. These numerical estimates may be used for ongoing research into the value and cost-effectiveness of medical, therapeutic, and surgical interventions for voice disorders. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2c (outcomes research) Laryngoscope, 130:E177-E182, 2020.

Voice Outcomes After Radiation for Early-Stage Laryngeal Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Radiation treatment for laryngeal cancer has been shown to cause tissue changes to the vocal folds, which can result in degradation of voice. Our objective in this study was to investigate changes in perceptual, acoustic, and patient-reported outcomes over an extended period of follow-up after radiation. DESIGN: Retrospective review. METHODS: All patients treated with radiation for early-stage laryngeal carcinoma (in situ, T1, or T2) by a single surgeon from 2011-2018 were reviewed. Demographics and treatment information were recorded. Only patients with at least two dates of follow-up with acoustic data (cepstral spectral index of dysphonia [CSID]) and patient-reported surveys (voice handicap index-10 [VHI-10]) were included. Voice samples were rated by two senior speech-language pathologists on the grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain scale. RESULTS: Of 115 patients with early-stage laryngeal cancer, 31 patients met inclusion criteria. The average follow-up from time of treatment was 9.6 years (range 3.0-20.3 years), and the average time in between the first and last voice recordings was 2.6 years (range 0.3-5.5 years). The lesions represented were carcinoma in situ (n = 4), T1 (n = 22), and T2 (n = 5). The VHI-10 scores worsened slightly (mean increase +0.27, median +1) from first to last measurements as did the CSID score (median increase +7.0, median +7.4), though neither reached statistical significance when correlated with time since radiation (P = 0.269 and P = 0.0850). Perceptual analysis as rated by two speech-language pathologists raters showed excellent inter-rater reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84), with no significant change over time (mean +0.39, median, with P = 0.347). Grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain, VHI-10, and CSID were all correlated (all pairwise comparisons P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Perceptual, acoustic, and patient-reported outcomes years after radiation for early-stage laryngeal cancer do not show voice degradation over time in this preliminary analysis. Further research with a larger cohort may elucidate voice changes in this population.

A visual analog scale for patient-reported voice outcomes: The VAS voice.

OBJECTIVES: Although patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can be useful for assessing quality of life, they can be complex and cognitively burdensome. In this study, we prospectively evaluated a simple patient-reported voice assessment measure on a visual analog scale (VAS voice) and compared it with the Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective survey. METHODS: An abbreviated voice measure was designed by a team of otolaryngologists, speech pathologists, and patients that consisted of four VAS questions related to (a) a global question of voice disturbance, (b) physical function of voice, (c) functional issues, and (d) emotional handicap. All English-speaking patients presenting to an academic laryngology clinic for a voice complaint were included. Internal consistency and validity were assessed with comparison to the VHI-10. RESULTS: A total of 209 patients were enrolled. Ninety-two percent of patients reported understanding the survey. The four-item VAS survey was highly correlated with VHI-10 score (Pearson correlation .81, P < .0001), and the Cronbach's alpha between all four VAS questions was .94. Age, gender, and diagnosis were not associated with either the global VAS or VHI-10 tool. CONCLUSION: Reducing the complexity of instruments assessing voice-related quality of life is feasible, and the VAS voice correlated with existing measures. Simplified assessments may offer advantages compared to more cumbersome PROMs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2c.

Long-term Voice Outcome Following Radiation Versus Laser Microsurgery in Early Glottic Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term voice outcome (LTVO) after radiation (XRT) or trans-oral laser microsurgery (TLM) is unclear. This study is a multi-modality analysis of LTVO following XRT or TLM in patients with early glottic cancer. We hypothesize that as compared with TLM, LTVO is worse in the XRT group because of progressive fibrosis in the glottic tissue MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and two patients with early glottic carcinoma (carcinoma in situ, T1, T2) were included. Multi-modality voice analyses were performed with self-perception using Voice Handicap Index-10, objective analysis using Analysis of Dysphonia in Speech and Voice Software (Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia score for Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice sentences), and perceptual rating by two blinded speech language pathologists (GRBAS scale). RESULTS: Fifty-five patients received TLM (mean follow-up = 52 months) and 47 patients had XRT (mean follow-up = 65 months). There is no difference between the two groups in sex, age, stage, and follow-up time. Intraclass correlation coefficient between raters was high at 0.94. Controlling for age and stage, XRT increases total GRBAS score by 1.38 points (P = 0.006) and increases Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia score by 13.7 points (P < 0.001) when compared with the TLM group. No significant differences were found in the Voice Handicap Index score between the XRT and the TLM groups. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first multi-modality voice analysis to suggest TLM results in better LTVO than XRT in GRBAS score and objective voice analysis but not in self-perception. These differences may reflect the progressive effects of XRT on glottic tissue. A randomized controlled study is required to confirm our findings.

The role of gastrostomy tube placement in advanced dementia with dysphagia: a critical review.

PURPOSE: Over 4.5 million people in North America had a diagnosis of dementia in the year 2000, and more than half had advanced disease with potential aspiration risk. There is much controversy regarding the use and timing of enteral feeding support in these patients with dysphagia. The management of dysphagia is far more complex when considering quality of life, "comfort care" hand feeding, the use of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube (PEG), and associated mortality rates. This study seeks to critically review the literature that evaluates PEG placement in this population. METHODS: A systematic literature review of PubMed, from 1995-2012, was conducted to identify studies relating to PEG placement in dementia patients with dysphagia. The principal outcomes and related survival rates for this population were compared. RESULTS: In total, 100 articles were identified in the search. Of these, ten met the search criteria and were analyzed. There was one study with a 2b level of evidence, one with 3b, and the remainder had level 4. All studies discussed long-term survival in the PEG versus non-PEG populations. No studies showed definitive evidence to suggest long-term survival rates improved in patients who underwent PEG placement as compared to those who did not. Two studies documented median survival worse in patients over age 80 with dementia and PEG placement. CONCLUSION: There is presently no evidence to suggest long-term survival rates improved in patients with advanced dementia who underwent PEG placement for dysphagia. Relevance to quality of life, need for nutrition and hydration, and ethical considerations in the decision process are discussed.

Dysphagia in stroke, neurodegenerative disease, and advanced dementia.

Aspiration risk from dysphagia increases with central and peripheral neurologic disease. Stroke, microvascular ischemic disease, a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases, and advancing dementia all have unique aspects. However, there are distinct commonalities in this population. Increasing nutritional requirements to stave off oropharyngeal muscular atrophy and a sedentary lifestyle further tax the patient's abilities to safely swallow. This article reviews stroke, muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and advanced dementia. Approaches to screening and evaluation, recognizing sentinel indicators of decline that increase aspiration risk, and options for managing global laryngeal dysfunction are also presented.