scholarly journals Quality of Mobile Phone and Tablet Mobile Apps for Speech Sound Disorders: Protocol for an Evidence-Based Appraisal

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. e233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M Furlong ◽  
Meg E Morris ◽  
Shane Erickson ◽  
Tanya A Serry
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Speech Sound Disorders

Stuttering mHealth Applications: A Qualitative Rubric Assessment (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fazwa M. Fadzilah ◽  
Noreen Izza Arshad ◽  
Izuddin Zainal-Abidin ◽  
Hui Min Low ◽  
Ahmad Kamil Mahmood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Evidence ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Standard Form ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Evaluation Instrument ◽  
Collective Effort ◽  
Speech Therapists

BACKGROUND Mobile applications (apps) that offer a variety of techniques to improve stuttering have been flourishing in the digital marketplace. In evidence-based clinical practice, speech therapists will recommend audio-enriched mobile apps to individuals with stuttering problems based on empirical research evidence. Unfortunately, many stuttering mobile apps available in the market are developed without a substantial research base. Hence, speech therapists necessitate a guideline which they could use to assess the quality of a stuttering mobile app before recommending the app to stutterers. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to develop a rubric for assessing the quality of the stuttering mobile app in assisting speech therapists to make informed recommendations METHODS The rubric was initially developed based on a set of criteria reviewed from the literature. Online surveys and focused group discussion were then conducted for results verification. RESULTS The outcome of this study is a rubric designed with four categories and 18-evaluative dimensions tailored to analyze the quality of stuttering mobile apps. The stuttering mobile app assessment rubric presented in the serve multiple purposes, including an evaluation instrument, providing guidelines for developing stuttering mobile apps and for creating a standard form that can be shared with professionals to facilitate a collective effort. CONCLUSIONS This rubric also offers a guidance to steer drive the future development of stuttering mobile apps that are evidence-based, and theoretically grounded

scholarly journals Mobile Apps for Speech-Language Therapy in Adults With Communication Disorders: Review of Content and Quality

10.2196/18858 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. e18858
Author(s):  
Atiyeh Vaezipour ◽  
Jessica Campbell ◽  
Deborah Theodoros ◽  
Trevor Russell
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Language Therapy ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
App Store ◽  
Google Play

Background Worldwide, more than 75% of people with acquired brain injury (ABI) experience communication disorders. Communication disorders are impairments in the ability to communicate effectively, that is, sending, receiving, processing, and comprehending verbal and nonverbal concepts and symbols. Such disorders may have enduring impacts on employment, social participation, and quality of life. Technology-enabled interventions such as mobile apps have the potential to increase the reach of speech-language therapy to treat communication disorders. However, ensuring that apps are evidence-based and of high quality is critical for facilitating safe and effective treatment for adults with communication disorders. Objective The aim of this review is to identify mobile apps that are currently widely available to adults with communication disorders for speech-language therapy and to assess their content and quality using the validated Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Methods Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and webpages were searched to identify mobile apps for speech-language therapy. Apps were included in the review if they were designed for the treatment of adult communication disorders after ABI, were in English, and were either free or for purchase. Certified speech-language pathologists used the MARS to assess the quality of the apps. Results From a total of 2680 apps identified from Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and web searches, 2.61% (70/2680) apps met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Overall, 61% (43/70) were available for download on the iPhone Operating System (iOS) platform, 20% (14/70) on the Android platform, and 19% (13/70) on both iOS and Android platforms. A content analysis of the apps revealed 43 apps for language, 17 apps for speech, 8 apps for cognitive communication, 6 apps for voice, and 5 apps for oromotor function or numeracy. The overall MARS mean score was 3.7 out of 5, SD 0.6, ranging between 2.1 and 4.5, with functionality being the highest-scored subscale (4.3, SD 0.6), followed by aesthetics (3.8, SD 0.8), information (3.4, SD 0.6), and engagement (3.3, SD 0.6). The top 5 apps were Naming Therapy (4.6/5), Speech Flipbook Standard (4.6/5), Number Therapy (4.5/5), Answering Therapy, and Constant Therapy (4.4/5). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically identify and evaluate a broad range of mobile apps for speech-language therapy for adults with communication disorders after sustaining ABI. We found a lack of interactive and engaging elements in the apps, a critical factor in sustaining self-managed speech-language therapy. More evidence-based apps with a focus on human factors, user experience, and a patient-led design approach are required to enhance effectiveness and long-term use.

scholarly journals Tutorial: Speech Motor Chaining Treatment for School-Age Children With Speech Sound Disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan L. Preston ◽  
Megan C. Leece ◽  
Jaclyn Storto
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
School Age ◽  
Speech Sound Disorders ◽  
Feedback Type ◽  
Practice Variability ◽  
Speech Motor

Purpose Operationalized treatments for school-age children with speech sound disorders may result in more replicable and evidence-based interventions. This tutorial describes Speech Motor Chaining (SMC) procedures, which are designed to build complex speech around core movements by incorporating several principles of motor learning. The procedures systematically manipulate factors such as feedback type and frequency, practice variability, and stimulus complexity based on the child's performance. Method The rationale and procedures for SMC are described. Examples are presented of how to design stimuli, deliver feedback, and adapt the approach. Free resources are provided to guide clinicians through implementation of the procedure. Data on fidelity of implementation and dose per session are presented. Clinical and research evidence is provided to illustrate likely outcomes with the procedure. Results SMC is a method that can result in successful acquisition of target speech patterns and generalization to untrained words. Most clinicians can implement the procedure with over 90% fidelity, and most children can achieve over 200 trials per session. Conclusion Clinicians and researchers can use or adapt the operationally defined SMC procedures to incorporate several principles of motor learning into treatment for school-age children with speech sound disorders. Supplemental Material https://osf.io/5jmf9/

scholarly journals Impact of Mobile Phone Usage on Some Health Aspects of Children and Adolescents: Evidence Based Review Article

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 159-161
Author(s):  
Aqeel Abbas Noaman ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Radio Waves ◽  
Quality Of Sleep ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Mobile Phone Usage ◽  
The Brain

The Wi-Fi devices in mobile phones have a key role in exchanging information and data to show images, audios, videos, and to transfer applications from mobile emitting radio waves. These waves emitted by mobile devices are radiofrequency waves, where many kinds of researches in this field have shown that they negatively affect, especially when using the mobile phone for a long time during the day on the vision and the level of hearing in the young people, as well as the effect on the nervous system caused Headache and muscle aches, as well, it has also been derived from these researches and studies that these waves can cause more depression or psychological stress in children and young users of mobile phones. Moreover, it can cause damage to the brain cells and may have caused a brain tumor even though many studies have not proved it. Also, these studies, which were presented in this article, have concluded that the use of mobile phones, especially late at night, can negatively affect the quality of sleep.

scholarly journals Characteristics and Quality of Mobile Apps Containing Prenatal Genetic Testing Information: Systematic App Store Search and Assessment

10.2196/30404 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. e30404
Author(s):  
Ko-Lin Wu ◽  
Rebeca Alegria ◽  
Jazzlyn Gonzalez ◽  
Harrison Hu ◽  
Haocen Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Educational Tool ◽  
Prenatal Genetic Testing ◽  
Genetic Tests ◽  
App Store

Background Prenatal genetic testing is an essential part of routine prenatal care. Yet, obstetricians often lack the time to provide comprehensive prenatal genetic testing education to their patients. Pregnant women lack prenatal genetic testing knowledge, which may hinder informed decision-making during their pregnancies. Due to the rapid growth of technology, mobile apps are a potentially valuable educational tool through which pregnant women can learn about prenatal genetic testing and improve the quality of their communication with obstetricians. The characteristics, quality, and number of available apps containing prenatal genetic testing information are, however, unknown. Objective This study aims to conduct a firstreview to identify, evaluate, and summarize currently available mobile apps that contain prenatal genetic testing information using a systematic approach. Methods We searched both the Apple App Store and Google Play for mobile apps containing prenatal genetic testing information. The quality of apps was assessed based on the criteria adopted from two commonly used and validated mobile app scoring systems, including the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and the APPLICATIONS evaluation criteria. Results A total of 64 mobile apps were identified. Of these, only 2 apps were developed for a specific prenatal genetic test. All others were either pregnancy-related (61/64, 95%) or genetics-related (1/64, 2%) apps that provided prenatal genetic testing information. The majority of the apps (49/64, 77%) were developed by commercial companies. The mean quality assessment score of the included apps was 13.5 (SD 2.9), which was equal to the average of possible theoretical score. Overall, the main weaknesses of mobile apps in this review included the limited number of prenatal genetic tests mentioned; incomprehensiveness of testing information; unreliable and missing information sources; absence of developmental testing with users (not evidence based); high level of readability; and the lack of visual information, customization, and a text search field. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the quality of mobile apps with prenatal genetic testing information must be improved and that pregnant women should be cautious when using these apps for prenatal genetic testing information. Obstetricians should carefully examine mobile apps before referring any of them to their patients for use as an educational tool. Both improving the quality of existing mobile apps, and developing new, evidence-based, high-quality mobile apps targeting all prenatal genetic tests should be the focus of mobile app developers going forward.

scholarly journals Mobile Apps for Speech-Language Therapy in Adults With Communication Disorders: Review of Content and Quality (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atiyeh Vaezipour ◽  
Jessica Campbell ◽  
Deborah Theodoros ◽  
Trevor Russell
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Language Therapy ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
App Store ◽  
Google Play

BACKGROUND Worldwide, more than 75% of people with acquired brain injury (ABI) experience communication disorders. Communication disorders are impairments in the ability to communicate effectively, that is, sending, receiving, processing, and comprehending verbal and nonverbal concepts and symbols. Such disorders may have enduring impacts on employment, social participation, and quality of life. Technology-enabled interventions such as mobile apps have the potential to increase the reach of speech-language therapy to treat communication disorders. However, ensuring that apps are evidence-based and of high quality is critical for facilitating safe and effective treatment for adults with communication disorders. OBJECTIVE The aim of this review is to identify mobile apps that are currently widely available to adults with communication disorders for speech-language therapy and to assess their content and quality using the validated Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). METHODS Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and webpages were searched to identify mobile apps for speech-language therapy. Apps were included in the review if they were designed for the treatment of adult communication disorders after ABI, were in English, and were either free or for purchase. Certified speech-language pathologists used the MARS to assess the quality of the apps. RESULTS From a total of 2680 apps identified from Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and web searches, 2.61% (70/2680) apps met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Overall, 61% (43/70) were available for download on the iPhone Operating System (iOS) platform, 20% (14/70) on the Android platform, and 19% (13/70) on both iOS and Android platforms. A content analysis of the apps revealed 43 apps for <i>language</i>, 17 apps for <i>speech</i>, 8 apps for <i>cognitive communication</i>, 6 apps for <i>voice</i>, and 5 apps for <i>oromotor function</i> or <i>numeracy</i>. The overall MARS mean score was 3.7 out of 5, SD 0.6, ranging between 2.1 and 4.5, with <i>functionality</i> being the highest-scored subscale (4.3, SD 0.6)<i>, followed by aesthetics</i> (3.8, SD 0.8), <i>information</i> (3.4, SD 0.6)<i>, and engagement</i> (3.3, SD 0.6). The top 5 apps were <i>Naming Therapy</i> (4.6/5), <i>Speech Flipbook Standard</i> (4.6/5), <i>Number Therapy</i> (4.5/5), <i>Answering Therapy</i>, and <i>Constant Therapy</i> (4.4/5). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically identify and evaluate a broad range of mobile apps for speech-language therapy for adults with communication disorders after sustaining ABI. We found a lack of interactive and engaging elements in the apps, a critical factor in sustaining self-managed speech-language therapy. More evidence-based apps with a focus on human factors, user experience, and a patient-led design approach are required to enhance effectiveness and long-term use.

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