Effectiveness of Teletherapy Versus Face-To-Face Therapy in the Treatment of Females with Vocal Fold Nodules.

Abstract

Background/aim: This study compares the effectiveness of teletherapy and face-to-face voice therapy in treating vocal fold nodules (VFNs) among female patients.

Methods: Fifteen individuals who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study and randomized, but after some dropouts, the study was completed with ten patients diagnosed with VFNs. Six patients received teletherapy while four were treated with face-to-face voice therapy. All participants underwent various assessments before the onset and after the completion of therapies. These assessments included endoscopic video-laryngeal-stroboscopic examination, aerodynamic analysis, auditory-perceptual investigation, patient self-report measures, and acoustic voice analysis. To improve their vocal hygiene, the participants were advised to follow certain recommendations and perform flow phonation exercises once a week for six weeks, after which auditory and perceptual assessments were conducted. The outcome variables of the therapy groups were compared using statistical analysis.

Results: The study found that all participants experienced a decrease in nodule size, an increase in maximum phonation time, and an improvement in voice-related quality of life. The group receiving teletherapy and the one receiving face-to-face therapy reported a significant improvement in auditory perceptual evaluation (P < .05). In terms of acoustic analysis, all voice parameters except fundamental frequency (F0) underwent a statistically significant change in all individuals (P < .05).

Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it was observed that teletherapy-based voice therapy can be an effective alternative to face-to-face therapy for females with VFNs. This is particularly beneficial for females who may not be able to attend regular in-person therapy sessions due to their busy schedules. Offering teletherapy sessions outside of working hours, helps individuals receive the treatment they need without disrupting their work commitments.