Gabriela Constantinescu1, Jana Rieger1, Marcy Winget2, Catherine Paulsen3, Hadi Seikaly4. 1. Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine, Misericordia Community Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaDepartment of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 2. Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California. 3. School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 4. Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Treatment for oral cancer can result in speech impairments that can have varying impacts on patient quality of life. This study explored the relationship between clinical measures of speech impairment and the perception that patients had of this change in the early stage of recovery. METHOD: This was a quasi-experimental 1-group pre-post study design carried out on 10 patients with surgical intervention for oral cancer. Two clinical measures (word intelligibility and consonant phoneme error) and 2 patient-perception measures (Speech Handicap Index total score and Speech Handicap Index patient criteria score) were collected at preoperative and 1-month postoperative appointments. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis revealed discordance between clinical and patient-perceived measures in 4 of 10 patients. Change in consonant phoneme error and change in word intelligibility were significantly correlated (r = .827). Furthermore, on average, statistically significant relationships were not found between clinical and patient-perceived measures or between the 2 patient-perception measures. CONCLUSIONS: Discordance between clinical and patient-perceived measures was observed in almost half of the sample, indicating that clinical tests did not fully explain the extent of impairment perceived by patients. Speech outcomes should focus on both types of measures, and patient perception outcomes should be carefully considered when recommending speech therapy.
PURPOSE: Treatment for oral cancer can result in speech impairments that can have varying impacts on patient quality of life. This study explored the relationship between clinical measures of speech impairment and the perception that patients had of this change in the early stage of recovery. METHOD: This was a quasi-experimental 1-group pre-post study design carried out on 10 patients with surgical intervention for oral cancer. Two clinical measures (word intelligibility and consonant phoneme error) and 2 patient-perception measures (Speech Handicap Index total score and Speech Handicap Index patient criteria score) were collected at preoperative and 1-month postoperative appointments. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis revealed discordance between clinical and patient-perceived measures in 4 of 10 patients. Change in consonant phoneme error and change in word intelligibility were significantly correlated (r = .827). Furthermore, on average, statistically significant relationships were not found between clinical and patient-perceived measures or between the 2 patient-perception measures. CONCLUSIONS: Discordance between clinical and patient-perceived measures was observed in almost half of the sample, indicating that clinical tests did not fully explain the extent of impairment perceived by patients. Speech outcomes should focus on both types of measures, and patient perception outcomes should be carefully considered when recommending speech therapy.
Authors: Tanya Eadie; Mara Kapsner-Smith; Susan Bolt; Cara Sauder; Kathryn Yorkston; Carolyn Baylor Journal: Int J Lang Commun Disord Date: 2018-07-24 Impact factor: 3.020
Authors: Tanya L Eadie; Holly Durr; Cara Sauder; Kathleen Nagle; Mara Kapsner-Smith; Kristie A Spencer Journal: Am J Speech Lang Pathol Date: 2021-02-25 Impact factor: 2.408