Feasibility, satisfaction and effectiveness of a smartphone application-based voice and speech training program for Parkinson’s disease.

Abstract

As Parkinson’s disease (PD) progresses, individuals often experience voice and speech difficulties. However, physical limitations can make in-person speech therapy challenging. These accessibility issues can be addressed by an mHealth application. We developed an Android-based speech therapy application and verified its feasibility, satisfaction, and effectiveness. Thirty PD patients with mean age of 68.04 ± 7.81 years who reported voice and speech problems and had no difficulty using a mobile phone were recruited. Two patients withdrew, 25 completed the use of the app and three discontinued midway. Among 25 patients, twenty showed an adherence rate of over 90% and four showed 70-90%. After using the app, 75% reported satisfaction and 58% noted an improvement in their voice. Significant improvements were observed in all acoustic measures and auditory-perceptual assessments after app use. This indicates that the mobile health application we developed is not only suitable for older people with PD but also highly satisfactory.