Singing Voice Concern in Tertiary Laryngology Practice

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Speech and Hearing Sciences
• Vocal Health

Background:

• Voice clinics address diverse vocal complaints.
• Singing voice concerns are often underrepresented in general voice clinic populations.
• Understanding the prevalence of singing voice concerns is crucial for comprehensive patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of singing voice as a primary concern in patients presenting to a voice clinic.
• To characterize the patient population with singing voice concerns.
• To compare the experiences of patients with singing voice concerns to those without.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of medical records and self-report questionnaires.
• Inclusion of demographics, medical history, laryngoscopy findings, and diagnoses.
• Utilized the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and clinical voice questionnaires for data collection.

Main Results:

• 17% of patients with general voice complaints identified singing voice as a primary concern.
• Patients with singing voice concerns reported greater handicap in personal/social life, income, and subjective well-being.
• These patients were more likely to be recommended and participate in voice therapy, irrespective of diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Singing voice concerns affect 17% of patients in voice clinics, predominantly recreational singers.
• Recreational singers with voice concerns are a poorly characterized but significant patient group.
• Voice clinics must be sensitive and responsive to the unique needs of singers presenting with vocal complaints.