Clinicians for voice, breathing disorders embrace telehealth

Before this year's pandemic, UW Medicine clinicians would see patients in person to provide therapy for voice, breathing, and swallowing conditions. Many patients need retraining after surgery or an acute medical event involving their airway. Seattle opera singer Debra McKinney, for instance, was waylaid by several bouts of pneumonia and lung surgery, and COVID-19 hospital-safety policies have kept her from being treated – unmasked, as she would need to be – in the clinic.

Telemedicine has saved the day, though, with online therapy from clinicians like speech language pathologist Juli Rosenzweig.  

"Prior to COVID we had zero telemedicine," Rosenzweig said. "Having telemedicine has made the difference between being able to take care of these patients and not take care of these patients. After we're out of the pandemic, I feel that we'll be using telemedicine quite a bit more" for its reach and its convenience, she said.