Validation of the 10-Item Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis-Handicap Index quality of life questionnaire

To validate and test the reliability of the 10-Item Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis-Voice Handicap Index (UVFP-HI-10) quality of life (QoL) questionnaire for patients with UVFP.

Prospective describe study based on perceptive surveys.

We recruited 61 patients with UVFP and 53 healthy individuals comprised the control group.

Both the patients and controls completed the UVFP-HI-10 questionnaire. A statistical analysis was performed to assess the internal consistency and validity of the survey. In addition, maximum phonation time (MPT) was used to objectively measure patient QoL.

Internal consistency was high (α = .914) and the correlation with MPT was significant (rs = -0.722). The estimated marginal mean in the discriminant validity study was around seven times higher in the UVFP group compared to the controls. The UVFP-HI-10 cut-off value was more than 0.9 and the sensitivity and specificity were more than 0.8.

The UVFP-HI-10 is a self-administered patient-reported outcome questionnaire with a high reliability and excellent criterion-based validity. This questionnaire can be used to evaluate specific clinical complaints (e.g., vocalisation, swallowing, and breathing) in terms of their impact on QoL in patients with UVFP. Thus, its use is appropriate as a basic assessment tool as part of a specific UVFP treatment protocol.