Feasibility of a Mobile Health Platform for Delivering Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy: A Retrospective Observational Analysis of Functional Outcomes and Adherence
- Publicado
- Servidor
- Preprints.org
- DOI
- 10.20944/preprints202608.1586.v1
Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) addresses functional impairments involving tongue and lip function, swallowing, and breathing behaviors. Mobile health (mHealth) platforms may facilitate structured delivery and monitoring of home-based exercises, but evidence regarding feasibility in clinical practice remains limited. This study evaluated the feasibility of a smartphone-based OMT platform by examining pre- to post-intervention changes in functional measures and adherence. A retrospective observational analysis was conducted using 15 de-identified clinical records from a single clinical database. Eligible records included documented platform use, baseline and post-intervention measurements, symptoms of at least six months’ duration, and participation in the 16-week intervention. Measures included lip pressure, tongue pressure, swallowing performance, peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF), forward head posture, and incentive spirometry. Paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used as appropriate. Significant pre- to post-intervention changes were observed in forward head posture, PNIF, incentive spirometry, lip pressure, tongue pressure, and swallowing performance. Adherence was high, with 14 of 15 participants (93%) completing the 16-week program. No adverse events were reported. This retrospective analysis provides preliminary feasibility data for smartphone-delivered OMT. Findings are exploratory and do not establish efficacy, causality, diagnostic validity, or effectiveness for specific medical conditions. Prospective controlled studies using standardized outcome measures are warranted.