The Effectiveness of a Voice Treatment Approach for Teachers With Self-Reported Voice Problems

• Published in: Journal of voice 2006-09, Vol.20 (3), p.423-431
• Main Authors: Gillivan-Murphy, Patricia, Drinnan, Michael J., O'Dwyer, Tadhg P., Ridha, Hayder, Carding, Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Care and treatment; Diagnosis; Dysphonia; Endoscopy - methods; Faculty; Female; Fiber Optic Technology; Health aspects; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Measurement; Medical Treatment; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases - therapy; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Risk Factors; Self-reported voice problems; Severity of Illness Index; Speaking; Speech Acoustics; Speech Therapy - methods; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teachers; Treatment effectiveness; Vocal Production; Voice Disorders; Voice Disorders - therapy; Voice Quality; Voice Therapy
• ISSN: 0892-1997; 1873-4588
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2005.08.002

Teachers are considered the professional group most at risk of developing voice-problems, but limited treatment effectiveness evidence exists. We studied prospectively the effectiveness of a 6-week combined treatment approach using vocal function exercises (VFEs) and vocal hygiene (VH) education with 20 teachers with self-reported voice problems. Twenty subjects were randomly assigned to a no-treatment control (n = 11) and a treatment group (n = 9). Fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation was carried out on all subjects before randomization. Two self-report voice outcome measures were used: the Voice-Related Quality of Life (VRQOL) and the Voice Symptom Severity Scale (VoiSS). A Voice Care Knowledge Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), developed specifically for the study, was also used to evaluate change in selected voice knowledge areas. A Student unpaired t test revealed a statistically significant ( P < 0.05) improvement in the treatment group as measured by the VoiSS. There was not a significant improvement in the treatment group as measured by the V-RQOL. The difference in voice care knowledge areas was also significant for the treatment group ( P < 0.05). This study suggests that a voice treatment approach of VFEs and VH education improved self-reported voice symptoms and voice care knowledge in a group of teachers.