The Dual-Microphone Voice Range Profile Assessment-Interrater Reliability

Area of Science:

• Speech and Hearing Science
• Acoustic Analysis
• Vocal Physiology

Background:

• The voice range profile (VRP) is an objective measure of vocal frequency and intensity.
• Accurate VRP assessments are crucial for evaluating treatment outcomes in voice disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interrater reliability of the dual-microphone voice range profile (VRP) assessment.
• To determine the consistency of VRP measurements across different speech-language pathologists.

Main Methods:

• Prospective repeated measures study design.
• Thirty-five healthy participants completed two VRP assessments within 2-84 days.
• Seven trained speech-language pathologists conducted the assessments, measuring voice frequency, intensity (min, max, ranges), and VRP area.

Main Results:

• Moderate to excellent interrater reliability was found for frequency measures and highest intensity.
• VRP area, minimum intensity, and intensity range demonstrated poor to moderate reliability with significant increases in retest.
• Statistically significant differences were noted in VRP area, softest intensity, and intensity range during retesting.

Conclusions:

• The VRP assessment is reliable for evaluating vocal frequency and maximum intensity.
• Caution is advised when interpreting minimum intensity, intensity range, and VRP area due to reliability concerns.
• Consistent VRP results can be achieved by different speech-language pathologists if they are trained and adhere to the same protocol.