title: [The voice evaluation protocol of the European Laryngological Society (ELS) -- first results of a multicenter study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A multidimensional protocol has been established by the ELS in order to reach better agreement and standardisation for functional assessment of pathologic voices. In order to evaluate the validity, practicability and applicability of this protocol the experiences of 6 european voice centres have been analysed in a retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ELS protocol comprises 5 dimensions: perceptual voice evaluation, videostroboscopy, acoustics, aerodynamics and subjective rating by the patient. Results obtained in 94 patients with benign voice disorders were evaluated retrospectively in a multicenter study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to our results, the validity, practicability and applicability of the ELS protocol was largely satisfactory. This was true for all "common" voice disorders, but not for extreme voice alterations (e. g. spasmodic dysphonia, aphonia, substitution voices). The 5 dimension proofed to be not redundant and were able to selectively differentiate pre- post changes among various etiologies of voice disorders, various types of treatment and genders.
authors.affiliation: Klinische Abteilung für Phoniatrie (Leiter: Univ. Prof. Dr. G. Friedrich) Medizinische Universität Graz, HNO-Univ. Klinik, Osterreich. gerhard.friedrich@meduni-graz.at
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Friedrich
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Dejonckere
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010036:Otolaryngology; D010700:Phonetics; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D012015:Reference Standards; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013018:Sound Spectrography / Q000592:standards*; D013071:Speech, Alaryngeal; D014741:Video Recording; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D014833:Voice Quality