The Feasibility of Group Therapeutic Singing Telehealth for Persons with Parkinson's Disease in Rural Iowa.

INTRODUCTION: Group therapeutic singing (GTS) may be an effective treatment for voice and respiratory impairments in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it remains unknown if GTS can be effectively delivered through telemedicine.

METHODS: Participants with PD from rural areas were recruited to complete a prerecorded GTS program, once a week for 8 weeks. Voice and respiratory outcome measures were collected 1 week before and 1 week after intervention.

RESULTS: Ten participants were enrolled in the study. One participant dropped at week 3. Five participants attended all eight sessions, two participants completed seven sessions, and one participant completed six sessions for 93.75% compliance. Statistical analysis for the data collected from the eight participants enrolled in the study revealed that voice outcome measures improved but did not reach significance. However, respiratory outcome measures significantly improved.

DISCUSSION: Results suggest that prerecorded GTS is feasible. Moreover, results are in keeping with results from a previous study using the exact same intervention with an in person therapist. Thus, this pilot work suggests that the use of prerecorded GTS may be a viable treatment option for those with limited access to care.