Adherence to voice therapy in pediatric populations is complex and depends on multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Identification of themes related to adherence in voice therapy should serve to assist clinicians in planning therapy and in developing treatment programs.
In this article, we will discuss the need for clinician-driven clinical research in the field of speech-language pathology, identify common barriers to such research endeavors, and offer solutions for overcoming those barriers to increase effective clinician-initiated research engagement and output. Using the University of Wisconsin-Madison Voice and Swallow Clinics' developing clinical research program as an example, we will demonstrate how research can be incorporated into a busy clinical schedule with appropriate support and resources. Our own endeavors with this model have seen an increase in Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions and approvals as well as publications from clinicians who had not previously considered themselves clinical investigators.
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to discuss factors that guide ethical decision making in determining what constitutes medically necessary voice therapy that involves or targets singing, which is distinct from a singing lesson.
Method
Different treatment tasks and scenarios are identified, and their rationales are compared with deference to precedent literature and relevant portions of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Code of Ethics. These materials are referenced in an effort to define the boundaries between voice therapy involving singing technique and a singing lesson.
Results
Suggestions regarding goal writing and documentation to highlight apparent boundaries are made.
Conclusions
In the care of injured voices, both precedent and ethical principles support speech-language pathology treatment that targets singing. However, it is incumbent upon the treating speech-language pathologist to determine when they are venturing into tasks that no longer serve a therapeutic purpose and to refer the patient for voice lessons as appropriate.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.