Effectiveness of Telepractice by Smartphone App Technology in Preventing Voice Problems

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: Prevention of Voice Disorders in Student Teachers

Treatments: Behavioral: In-person Global Voice Prevention Model; Behavioral: Telepractice Global Voice Prevention Model; Behavioral: Telepractice, Vocal Hygiene and Vocal Education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02873130

1R15DC014566-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

Voice disorders in teachers have a significant impact on communication, quality of life, and economic costs to the healthcare system. We need to advance the prevention of voice disorders in teachers by testing an online telepractice model with synchronous (in real-time) and asynchronous (stored and accessed later) methods. The current study will investigate the effectiveness of the theoretically-driven Global Voice Prevention Model (GVPM) delivered by two methods; 1) online telepractice (synchronous and asynchronous) and 2) traditional, in-person for vocally healthy physical education and vocal music student teachers. Effectiveness of the model will be assessed by voice-related measures captured daily on a smartphone app during student teaching, matching the asynchronous aspects of the telepractice model and representing the effects of vocal loading from teaching.

Enrollment: 103 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• senior at West Chester University as of fall 2016 and fall 2017,
• student teaching during spring 2017 or 2018,
• healthy voice user,
• owns a smartphone

Exclusion criteria

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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103 participants in 3 patient groups

Behavioral: Telepractice Global Voice Prevention Model

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will complete the Global Voice Prevention Model (GVPM) through West Chester University's Desire 2 Learn (D2L) software program. Synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities are provided through D2L over a four week period. The GVPM includes vocal hygiene, vocal education, and vocal training.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Telepractice Global Voice Prevention Model

Behavioral: In-person Global Voice Prevention Model

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will complete the Global Voice Prevention Model (GVPM) at West Chester University in-person. The GVPM will meet for 2 hours once a week for four weeks. The GVPM includes vocal hygiene, vocal education, and vocal training.

Treatment:

Behavioral: In-person Global Voice Prevention Model

Behavioral: Telepractice, Vocal Hygiene and Vocal Education

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Participants will complete Vocal Hygiene and Vocal Education through West Chester University's Desire 2 Learn (D2L) software program. Asynchronous learning opportunities are provided through D2L over a one week period.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Telepractice, Vocal Hygiene and Vocal Education