Development of a voice disorder work productivity inventory utilizing cognitive interviewing technique

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Occupational Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Voice disorders significantly impair workplace productivity through presenteeism and absenteeism.
• Existing work productivity measures (WPAI, HPQ) are not fully optimized for the specific impacts of voice disorders.
• There is a need for a specialized tool to accurately evaluate work productivity in this patient population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel questionnaire for assessing work productivity in patients with voice disorders.
• To compare the effectiveness of the new questionnaire against established measures.
• To identify key themes related to voice disorders and their workplace impact.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study design was employed at a tertiary medical center.
• Patients with chronic voice disorders completed the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) Questionnaire, the World Health Organization Health - Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ), and a novel 20 voice-related statements (VRS-20) questionnaire.
• Cognitive interviews were conducted with all participants to gather qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• Ten patients (7 female, 3 male) with various voice disorders participated.
• Participants reported themes of avoiding oral communication, voice-related strain and fatigue, workplace stress, and concerns about job integrity.
• Qualitative feedback indicated that the VRS-20 was perceived as a more effective tool than the WPAI and HPQ for capturing the work impact of voice disorders.

Conclusions:

• The novel VRS-20 questionnaire demonstrated superior ability in assessing the impact of voice disorders on work productivity compared to existing general questionnaires.
• Patient feedback highlighted the importance of specific voice-related statements in evaluating workplace challenges.
• The findings support the use of the VRS-20 for better understanding and management of voice disorders in the workplace.