Comprehensive Review of Factors Influencing the Use of Telepractice in Stuttering Treatment

• Published in: Healthcare informatics research Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 57 - 66
• Main Authors: Bayati, Baran, Ayatollahi, Haleh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Medical Informatics 2021; The Korean Society of Medical Informatics; 대한의료정보학회
• Subjects: Original; speech therapy; stuttering; telehealth; telemedicine; telerehabilitation; 예방의학; Telerehabilitation; Stuttering; Telehealth; Telemedicine; Speech Therapy
• ISSN: 2093-3681; 2093-369X; 2093-369X
• DOI: 10.4258/hir.2021.27.1.57

Stuttering is a speech disorder characterized by the repetition of sounds, syllables, or words; prolongation of sounds; and interruptions in speech. Telepractice allows speech services to be delivered to patients regardless of their location. This review investigated factors influencing the use of telepractice in stuttering treatment. Articles related to the application of telepractice in stuttering were searched using the Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane, and ProQuest databases without consideration of any time limit. Initially, 79 articles were found and after application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 15 articles were selected for the review study. Data were analyzed by using the content analysis method and synthesized narratively. Factors influencing the use of telepractice in stuttering treatment were categorized into individual, technical, clinical, and economic factors. Providing access to healthcare services, maintaining personal privacy, and allowing flexibility in arranging appointments were among individual factors. In terms of the technical factors, technical problems and Internet speed were addressed. Clinical factors were divided into positive and negative outcomes, and economic factors were mainly related to time and cost savings. Although patients may benefit from using telepractice, the widespread adoption of this technology can be hindered by some technical and non-technical factors. Because telepractice can be employed as a complementary method to treat stuttering, more attention should be paid to the required infrastructure and factors that may negatively impact the use of this technology.