Background
The traditional treatment for Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) adopts an individual face-to-face behavioural voice therapy. A growing number of studies have shown that voice therapy delivered in groups or via telepractice is as effective as the traditional approach. Group voice therapy offers many benefits from a psychosocial, clinical, and health resource allocation perspective. Voice therapy via telepractice addresses the challenges of service access. Group voice therapy via telepractice combines the advantages of these two service delivery models. However, there are no current studies or guidelines available to guide the delivery of group voice therapy via telepractice.
Objectives
The study presents a treatment protocol for the delivery of group voice therapy using telepractice for patients with MTD.
Methods
The protocol was developed based on a review of the literature and the clinical expertise of clinicians skilled in managing voice disorders and experienced in telepractice. In addition, a survey of voice therapy experts was conducted to refine the treatment protocol.
Result
The protocol has two sections, (i) Telepractice set up and (ii) Voice group therapy programme. (i) Telepracitce set-up includes a pre-session checklist and a telepractice checklist to prepare patients for the voice therapy sessions. (ii) The voice group therapy programme includes both indirect and direct voice therapy which are recommended for patient with MTD. Issues and details on conducting group therapy sessions using telepractice are highlighted in the treatment protocol.
Conclusion
This treatment protocol will provide clinicians and researchers recommendations on conducting telepractice group voice therapy for patients with MTD. Future research will be conducted on applying this treatment protocol to investigate the effectiveness of voice group therapy through telepractice for patients with MTD.
Acknowledgment
This study is funded by the General Research Fund 2022/23 (ref. no. 14106422)
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