# Utility of a Novel Mobile Lip‐Reading Application for Patients After Total Laryngectomy

## TL;DR

A new mobile app helps patients who have had their voice box removed communicate better in the hospital by using lip-reading technology.

## Contribution

A novel mobile lip-reading app, SRAVI, is introduced and tested for post-total laryngectomy communication.

## Key findings

- SRAVI achieved 43% first-attempt accuracy and 67% total accuracy in phrase recognition.
- Patients used SRAVI mainly to communicate with care teams and family members.
- 69.7% of patients preferred SRAVI over written communication during hospitalization.

## Abstract

Total laryngectomy (TL) patients have limited options for speech rehabilitation in the immediate postoperative period, resulting in communication difficulties and patient frustration. This study investigates a novel mobile application (app), Speech Recognition Application for the Voice Impaired (SRAVI), to improve postoperative communication for TL patients. Participants received a tutorial on the technology prior to use and had access to the app throughout their hospital admission. A total of 16 patients were included. Of 652 valid transactions within the app, accurate phrase return on the first attempt was 43% with a total accuracy of 67%. Patients used SRAVI primarily to communicate with their care team (66.7%) and with family members/social support (80%). Patients reported using SRAVI, on average, 43.6% of the time to communicate during their hospitalization the majority (69.7%) preferred SRAVI to written communication. In TL patients, use of speech recognition technology is feasible in the immediate postoperative period.