Instruments for Dysphonia Screening, Vocal Symptom Identification, and Self-reported Voice Perception: A Scoping...

This study aims to map the instruments used in international literature for dysphonia screening, vocal symptom identification, and self-reported voice perception.

A scoping review conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute reviewer's manual and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Searches were performed in December 2025 across the Medline, Lilacs, Scopus, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases. Two independent reviewers selected studies addressing dysphonia screening and vocal self-report instruments, with no language or time period restrictions.

A total of 190 studies published between 2007 and 2025 were included. Brazil led the publications (n=120; 63.1%), followed by the USA (n=12; 6.3%). Forty-one instruments were identified and categorized into screening (such as the Screening Index for Voice Disorder and Dysphonia Screening Tool), vocal symptom identification and self-reported voice perception (such as the Voice Handicap Index, Voice Symptom Scale, and Voice-Related Quality of Life), and hybrid tools (such as the Dysphonia Risk Screening Protocol and Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale). Most studies focused on working-age adults, revealing a shortage of digital ecological validations and robust sensitivity and specificity studies.

Although there is growing development of specific tools for occupational niches, gaps persist regarding pediatric and geriatric populations, as well as the validation of digital formats. The choice of instrument must strictly align its purpose (rapid population screening vs. longitudinal clinical monitoring) with the patient's profile.